U.S. patent application number 13/157291 was filed with the patent office on 2011-09-29 for advertising revenue sharing.
Invention is credited to John Almeida.
Application Number | 20110238501 13/157291 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44657434 |
Filed Date | 2011-09-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110238501 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Almeida; John |
September 29, 2011 |
Advertising revenue sharing
Abstract
A method of host development is based on paying the writer of
free content through advertising revenue sharing. Steps include
receiving an advertisement, which is paid content, from an
advertiser; receiving non-paid content subject to a condition that
the provider may receive no compensation for the non-paid content;
combining the paid content and the non-paid content on a content
page; registering a user to interact with the content page; sending
the content page for display on a computer operated by the user;
calculating a number equaling all interactions of the user with the
paid content; receiving payment from the advertiser for said
number; and paying the provider based on a fraction of the
payment.
Inventors: |
Almeida; John; (Richmond,
CA) |
Family ID: |
44657434 |
Appl. No.: |
13/157291 |
Filed: |
June 9, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12817755 |
Jun 17, 2010 |
7987139 |
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13157291 |
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12504555 |
Jul 16, 2009 |
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12817755 |
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11677242 |
Feb 21, 2007 |
7580858 |
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12504555 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/14.56 ;
705/14.69 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/02 20130101;
G06Q 30/0258 20130101; G06Q 30/0273 20130101; G06Q 30/0214
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/14.56 ;
705/14.69 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/00 20060101
G06Q030/00 |
Claims
1. A method of web site development based on advertising revenue
sharing, comprising the steps of: receiving paid content from an
advertiser; receiving non-paid content from a provider subject to a
condition that the provider may receive no compensation for the
non-paid content; combining the paid content and the non-paid
content on a content page; registering a user to interact with the
content page; sending the content page for display on a computer
operated by the user; calculating a number equaling all
interactions of the user with the paid content; receiving payment
from the advertiser for said number; and paying the provider based
on a fraction of the payment.
2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of
enabling the user to suggest paid content that is related to the
non-paid content.
3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of
setting a maximum number of times that paid content can be
displayed to the user.
4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of
paying said user for revenues generated by said interactions.
5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of
setting a minimum time period which must elapse before redisplaying
a previously displayed advertising on a content page to the
user.
6. A method of web site development based on advertising revenue
sharing, comprising the steps of: registering a provider to prepare
free content subject to a condition that the provider may receive
no compensation for the free content; receiving paid content;
combining the free content with the paid content on a content page;
sending the content page for display on a computer; enabling a user
to access the computer and display the content page; calculating a
gross total of times the user displays the content page;
determining a net total by subtracting from the gross total the
number of subsequent times the user accesses the content page
before expiration of a waiting-time threshold from an immediately
preceding access; receiving payment from the advertiser for the net
total; and paying the provider for the net total.
7. A method of web site development based on advertising revenue
sharing, comprising the steps of: providing a server computer;
combining content with an advertisement; sending the content and
advertisement to a user accessing the server computer; receiving at
the server computer a first click on the advertisement, the first
click sent by the user; saving a first indication of receiving the
first click; receiving a second click on the advertisement, the
second click sent by the user; setting a time period; determining
if the second click is received after expiration of the time
period; saving a second indication of the second click if the
second click occurs after expiration of the time period; and
charging an advertiser for each saved indication.
8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the steps
of: providing a clickable link to paid content from a content
distributor on the server computer; and paying the content
distributor for each click on the clickable link to the paid
content.
9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the steps
of: receiving the content from a provider subject to a condition
that the provider may receive no compensation for the content; and
paying the provider for each click on the clickable link to the
paid content.
10. A method of host development based on advertising revenue
sharing, comprising the steps of: registering a provider to prepare
non-paid content subject to a condition that the provider may
receive no compensation for the non-paid content; transmitting the
non-paid content to a content distributor; receiving at a host: the
non-paid content sent by the content distributer; and paid content
from an advertiser, the paid content comprising a link to
additional information; combining the non-paid content and the paid
content into a page; displaying the page on the host; totaling a
number of interactions by a user with the link; receiving payment
from the advertiser for the number of interactions with the link;
and paying the provider for the number of interactions with the
link.
11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step
of paying the content distributor for the number of interactions
with the link.
12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step
of incorporating the non-paid content into the page as virtual
content.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of pending U.S.
application Ser. No. 12/817,755 filed 17 Jun. 2010, which is a
continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/504,555, filed 16 Jul.
2009, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/677,242,
filed 21 Feb. 2007 that issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,580,858 on 25
Aug. 2009, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference
herein.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] In the field of data processing, and involving financial,
business practice, and management, a method of revenue sharing
between the content provider/writer, website hosting the content
and the user clicking on the advertisings associated with said
content and content distributor, or by buying paid content
(e-commerce or e-services) associated with the content.
BACKGROUND ART
[0003] Currently, content writers prepare and submit content that
is voluntarily contributed to a host and integrated onto a
blog-portal, virtual community and others. The content writer does
all the intellectual work and the host inserts advertisings and
other paid content along the user-provided content without
compensating the content writer, who is
intellectual-proprietor.
[0004] On the other hand, users viewing those contents more often
than not, click on the paid content and as with the content writer,
the users are not compensated for their click.
[0005] In the case of RSS (Really Simple Syndication) writers
provide the content along with other advertising or paid content
and the site presenting the content helps generate the content
provider's revenue, and again, without the user interacting with
the paying content or the content provider receiving any
compensation for the generated revenue.
[0006] The disclosed method of revenue sharing compensates all
parties that are involved in the process of interacting with paid
content and helping generate revenues.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0007] A method of web site development is based on paying the
writer or provider of free substantive content through advertising
revenue sharing. A first step is receiving an advertisement, which
is paid content, from an advertiser.
[0008] A second step is receiving non-paid content subject to a
condition that the provider may receive no compensation for the
non-paid content. Non-paid content is typically substantive content
from a provider, who is the writer. The writer essentially makes a
contribution of written material.
[0009] A third step includes combining the paid content and the
non-paid content on a content page, which is what the host does
with the intent of displaying both the substantive content
(non-paid content) and the advertisement to a user. It is also what
a content-for-sale associate does with the non-paid content.
[0010] Other steps include: registering a user to interact with the
content page, which allows the host to track what the user does
after viewing the content page; sending the content page for
display on a computer operated by the user; calculating a number
equaling all interactions of the user with the paid content;
receiving payment from the advertiser for said number; and paying
the provider based on a fraction of the payment. The payment made
to the provider compensates the provider as the writer but such
payment is made only receipt of revenue by the host, for example,
if an advertiser payment is received, or if a sales commission for
the paid content is received. So, instead of no compensation as is
common, the provider may receive payment if there is advertising
revenue or sales commission revenue. Also, the provider may receive
no payment if there are no revenues.
[0011] Optional steps include: enabling the user to suggest paid
content that is related to the non-paid content; setting a maximum
number of times that paid content can be displayed to the user;
paying the user for revenues generated by the user's own
interactions; and setting a minimum time period which must elapse
before redisplaying a previously displayed advertising on a content
page to the user.
[0012] An alternative embodiment requires elapse of a minimum time
period before a user who clicks on an advertisement will generate a
charge to an advertiser. The steps include: registering a provider
to prepare free content subject to a condition that the provider
may receive no compensation for the non-paid content; receiving
paid content; combining the free content with the paid content on a
content page; sending the content page for display on a computer;
enabling a user to access the computer and display the content
page; calculating a gross total of times the user displays the
content page; determining a net total by subtracting from the gross
total the number of subsequent times the user accesses the content
page before expiration of a waiting-time threshold from an
immediately preceding access; receiving payment from the advertiser
for the net total; and paying the provider for the net total.
[0013] Another alternative embodiment is a method of web site
development based on advertising revenue sharing and includes a
limitation on how many clicks are counted if they occur too fast.
The steps include: providing a server computer; combining content
with an advertisement; sending the content and advertisement to a
user accessing the server computer; receiving at the server
computer a first click on the advertisement, the first click sent
by the user; saving a first indication of receiving the first
click; receiving a second click on the advertisement, the second
click sent by the user; setting a time period; determining if the
second click is received after expiration of the time period;
saving a second indication of the second click if the second click
occurs after expiration of the time period; and charging an
advertiser for each saved indication. Optional steps include:
providing a clickable link to paid content from a content
distributor on the server computer; paying the content distributor
for each click on the clickable link to the paid content; receiving
the content from a provider subject to a condition that the
provider may receive no compensation for the non-paid content; and
paying the provider for each click on the clickable link to the
paid content.
[0014] A third alternative embodiment is a method of host
development based on advertising revenue sharing and specifies that
the paid content contains a link to another site. The steps
include: registering a provider to prepare non-paid content subject
to a condition that the provider may receive no compensation for
the non-paid content; transmitting the non-paid content to a
content distributor; receiving at a host the non-paid content sent
by the content distributer and paid content from an advertiser, the
paid content comprising a link to additional information; combining
the non-paid content and the paid content into a page; displaying
the page on the host; totaling a number of interactions by a user
with the link; receiving payment from the advertiser for the number
of interactions with the link; and paying the provider for the
number of interactions with the link. Optional steps include:
paying the content distributor for the number of interactions with
the link; and incorporating the non-paid content into the page as
virtual content.
TECHNICAL PROBLEM
[0015] With the explosion of ways for presenting online content
over the Internet, there are a number of content hosting sites
like, but not limited to: blogs, RSS (Really Simple Syndicate),
virtual communities, photo sharing sites, video sharing sites, etc.
These hosting environments offer means for their user base to place
and view contents, the hosting environment in turn places paid
contents inserted into the user provided contents or along with,
without any kind of compensation whatsoever for the content
provider nor to any other involved party taking part in generating
the income.
[0016] Currently, there is no fair and just mechanism for
compensating all of the involved parties helping in the generating
of the income stream for the hosting site, content provider and
user (user is the one who reads, views and clicks over the paid
content, or one who is a buyer who buys goods or services
associated with the non-paid content, henceforth called user,
viewer or clicker and herein such terms are used
interchangeably).
[0017] Current methods involving creation of content on the web,
those doing intellectual work, commonly known as content provider
or content contributors/writers and users doing the clicking over
the paid content, do not get compensated. The content hosting site
places paid content along with user provided content without
creating any fair means for compensating those who help generate
the revenue stream.
ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION
[0018] The method fosters content creation and content use by
providing a methodology for compensating formerly uncompensated
writers and consumers or users of the content.
[0019] The method is a means to increase the number of intellectual
contributors, readers and content-hosting sites. The content
provider's (content writer's) objective is to have the content
placed in the greatest possible number of web sites and the
broadest possible exposure to the content's intellect message.
Since the Internet is becoming a universal virtual grid where
content is hosted in one location (dynamic) and virtually presented
at many other locations (the physical hosting is done by the
dynamic hosting site and the virtual hosting site does the
presentation to a user without processing the actual content). By
having a mechanism to compensate the hosting-site
(dynamically/virtually), the content writers and the clicker as
well, a broad base of high quality content will be available for
the creation of specialized virtual content hosting sites and
portals, thus benefiting everyone along the way. The virtual
presentation can be done from a single location or over the
Internet by the use of web controls technology
[0020] The method provides a financial incentive that meets
advertiser goals of having as broad exposure as possible to the
greatest possible number of viewers. It also provides a financial
incentive that meets advertising-distributors goals to have the
highest paying per-click customers and the broadest possible
user-base.
[0021] The method avoids overcharging the advertiser by providing
participating parties with compensation for their time and efforts.
The method provides a fair and just process for compensating those
involved in creating the income stream so that the income stream,
if any, is fairly divided among content contributors, hosting sites
and users doing the clicking on the paid content.
[0022] The method enables building the next generation of a
universal virtual media. This method can work individually by
paying commission only to the contributor (provider), paying
commission only to the website or paying commission only to the
clicker or any combination thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0023] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in the
form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the
invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the
principles of the invention.
[0024] FIG. 1 illustrates a method for compensating a hosting site,
a content provider and a content reader when a content distributor
supplies user-provided contents along with paid content to a
hosting site.
[0025] FIG. 2 illustrates three tables containing meta data for a
website, clicker and content writer related to the method
illustrated in FIG. 1.
[0026] FIG. 3 illustrates a further explanation of the method of
FIG. 1 where content is hosted by a plurality of sites and a
plurality of users interacting with the content.
[0027] FIG. 4 illustrates dynamic and virtual content, advertising
and user interactions with them.
[0028] FIG. 5 illustrates client/server communication over the
Internet/Network and an electronic representation of a computing
device.
[0029] FIG. 6 illustrates a link presented to users to click on
paid content and tables for tracking parties involved in generating
the revenue stream.
[0030] FIG. 7 is a logic diagram for using the link presented in
FIG. 6.
[0031] FIG. 8 is a logic diagram for tracking valid clicks based on
an encrypted IP (Internet Protocol) address.
[0032] FIG. 9 is a logic diagram for tracking un-logged-in user
interaction with paid content.
[0033] FIG. 10 is a logic diagram for tracking the length a user
stays in a web page.
[0034] FIG. 11 illustrates a method to obtain an answer from a user
to verify user's reading of the page content.
[0035] FIG. 12 illustrates a method for a user to suggest related
content to be associated with the content page.
[0036] FIG. 13 illustrates another method of including the user
suggested related content to the content page.
[0037] FIG. 14 illustrates another method of including the user
suggested related content to the content page wherein content to be
suggested resides at a remote location.
[0038] FIG. 15 illustrates another method of requesting user
suggested remote content.
[0039] FIGS. 16-17 illustrate a method of finding content related
to the content being viewed by a user.
[0040] FIG. 18 illustrates using a prior geographical location
visited by the user to target content for the user in a future
visit to the system.
[0041] FIG. 19 illustrates the step of deriving a classification
group from a plurality of content pages.
[0042] FIG. 20 illustrates the step of deriving a classification
group form a single content page.
[0043] FIG. 21 illustrates the presentation of a content page that
includes the user's requested content and a related content when
the related content is based on a common classification group
between the content page and other content pages previously viewed
by the user.
[0044] FIG. 22 illustrates the step of targeting content to a user
based on the user's personal information.
[0045] FIG. 23 illustrates the step of targeting content based on a
content page having contents provided by multiple content
providers.
[0046] FIG. 24 illustrates the step of targeting content to a user
based on the user's acquaintance's personal information.
[0047] FIG. 25 illustrates the step of enabling content from one
user to be propagated to another user based on the other user's
election to receive the content.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0048] In the following detailed description, reference is made to
the accompanying drawings that show, by way of illustration,
specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These
embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those
skilled in the art to practice the invention. It is to be
understood that the various embodiments of the invention, although
different, are not necessarily mutually exclusive. For example, a
particular feature, structure, or characteristic described herein
in connection with one embodiment may be implemented within other
embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention. In addition, it is to be understood that the location or
arrangement of individual elements within each disclosed embodiment
may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to
be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention described
herein is defined by the appended claims, appropriately
interpreted, along with the full range of equivalents to which the
claims are entitled. In the drawings, like numerals refer to the
same or similar functionality throughout the several views.
[0049] The present invention may be embodied as a method or a
computer program product. Accordingly, the present invention may
take a form of an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment
combining software and hardware. Furthermore, the present invention
may take the form of a computer program product on a
computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program
code means embodied in the medium. Any non-transitory computer
readable medium may be utilized including but not limited to: hard
disks, CD-ROMs, optical storage devices, or magnetic devices.
[0050] There are many ways of placing contents in a web site, by
having a server as the host of the contents and the advertising or
registered web sites presenting them to a user through a web
service (a program in the server to allow the server to serve a
requesting computer with services and/or contents), thus, the
contents on the websites can be requested from the server and saved
locally (cached) or they can be presented virtually to interfacing
users. And in either case, the server does the inserting of paid
contents into the content page. The terms server and server
computer as used herein are synonymous and refer to hardware
together with the software needed to operate the hardware.
[0051] Participating parties in the income-share program are
preferably registered with the server providing the contents. Once
a user clicks on advertising, the server charges the click to an
advertiser. The server also allocates a commission (some fraction
of the charge to the advertiser) to the user who clicked to the web
site hosting the advertisement, that is, the paid content. The
server also allocates a commission to the content provider.
Preferably, a mechanism is used to stop fraud where a user
repetitively clicks on a paid content for the purpose of earning
multiple commissions. The invention may be used where there is a
sale of good or service that is concluded by a user and the
commission is allocated to the content provider of the non-paid
content displayed with the good or service.
[0052] Thus, a preferred method of web site development is based on
advertising revenue sharing, This method includes steps of:
receiving paid content from an advertiser; receiving non-paid
content from a provider subject to a condition that the provider
may receive no compensation for the non-paid content; combining the
paid content and the non-paid content on a content page;
registering a user to interact with the content page; sending the
content page for display on a computer operated by the user;
calculating a number equaling all interactions of the user with the
paid content; receiving payment from the advertiser for said
number; and paying the provider based on a fraction of the
payment.
[0053] A preferred method includes a step of tracking a link
validation by receiving at the server a request for content from
the client device. Each such request comprises the IP address of
the user's computer, also referred to as the client device, the
user being synonymous with client. The server encrypts the client
device's IP address and sends the encrypted IP address in a
subsequent content page to the client device; the encrypted IP
address may be sent in a link or in a form element. When the user
contacts the server again, the server receives the encrypted IP
address from the client device, as well as the client's actual IP
address of the client device's location, the server then decrypts
the encrypted IP address and compares the decrypted IP address with
the client's actual IP address, if the two IP address match, then
the server validates the user's interactions; and if not, the
server disregards the user's interaction.
[0054] Another preferred method includes a step of tracking a
user's interaction with paid and non-paid content. Non-paid content
is provided by a content provider to the server computer. The
server computer sends a tracking cooking to the client device and
uses the tracking cookie to associate the user's interaction with
the tracking cookie and pay the content provider for the user's
interaction with the paid-content that is displayed on the page and
associated with the non-paid content. The user's interaction may
involve clicking on advertising or buying a product or a service.
Once the user logs in with the server computer, the server computer
associates the accumulated user's interaction with the tracking
cookie and pays the logged in user a commission for the user's
interaction with the paid-content. If the user is not yet
registered with the server computer, the server computer may store
the accumulated interaction with the client device and associate
the stored accumulated interaction with the cookie-value stored in
the client device. Once the user registers with the server
computer, then the server computer may pay the user based on the
stored accumulated interaction associated with the cookie-value.
Thus, a preferred method includes a step of paying the user for
revenues generated by said interactions.
[0055] Another preferred method includes a step of tracking the
length of time a user views or stays in a content page. This method
logs a timestamp of the user visit to each page. Then, the
timestamp is used to verify whether or not the user viewed the page
or stayed on the page a length of time or longer than a time length
set as a threshold. If so, then the interaction is validated as
eligible for payment. If not, the interaction is invalidated and no
payment for that interaction will be made.
[0056] Another preferred method includes a step of checking if a
user has interacted with a content page before validating the
user's interaction as a valid user's interaction. The user must
answer a question providing an answer that is to found in the
content page.
[0057] Another preferred method includes a step of enabling a user
to suggest content hosted by a remote host. The user's suggested
content is associated with second content hosted by a hosting site
that the user is accessing and interacting with. Once the hosting
site or the content provider accepts the suggested content from the
remote host, the suggested content and the second content are
presented to subsequent users accessing the hosting site. The user
making the suggestion may receive a commission if income is
generated by user's interaction with the suggested content, the
suggested content may be advertising, goods or service for sale.
Thus, a preferred method optionally includes a step of enabling the
user to suggest paid content that is related to the non-paid
content.
[0058] The method may be further employed to enable a suggesting
user to recommend that second non-paid content be associated with
the non-paid content (first non-paid content). In this embodiment,
the method is preferably implemented by asking the host or owner of
the first non-paid content to accept or reject the recommendation.
If the host or owner of the first non-paid content accepts, then he
is asked to pay a one-time fee to the suggesting user, or no
compensation may be given to the suggesting user. Alternatively, if
the second non-paid content is hosted locally, then after it is
accepted, the second non-paid content is simply rendered with the
non-paid content.
[0059] Another preferred method includes a step of targeting
contents for a particular user based on the particular user's
previous physical location. This location may be an address where
the user previously lived; it may be a business location the user
previously visited; it may be a location the user previously
visited and is logged by devices such as a smart mobile phone where
the GPS (Global Positioning System) records the user's movements;
or it may be any other location that associates the user to a time
prior to when the targeted content is presented to the user. The
content may be a content related to advertising targeted to
businesses entities that are located at or in the surroundings of
where the user has prior association. The content may be an item
for sale or a service offered that is related to a business that is
located at the geographic location or in surroundings of a prior
geographic location visited by the user. The content may be any
type of content that is related to the user and is based on prior
location associated with the user.
[0060] Another preferred method includes the step of targeting
content to a user based on the user's private data that is stored
in the user's personal devices (laptop computer, desktop computer,
mobile devices and others) or in a cloud (computer on the Internet
used to backup user's data). The user accesses the server and the
server checks the user's private data stored on the server or
stored in another computer and targets content to the user that is
related to the user's private data.
[0061] Another preferred method is used to compensate a plurality
of content providers in an environment, such as a social network or
micro-blogging site. A commission for the plurality of content
providers is based on the paid content that is advertised, or on a
good or service sold and included (either directly or indirectly
with a link) on a page with the non-paid content provided by the
plurality of content providers. The paid-content may be displayed
on the non-paid content page or the paid content may have an
association with the non-paid content, or have an association with
private data of one or more of the plurality of content providers
contributing to the non-paid content page. The private data may be
user's personal information, personal profiling information, or
user's content stored in the user's personal device. Each user of
the page may also receive a commission for the income generated
from page.
[0062] Another preferred method includes a step of targeting
content to a user based on one or more of the user's acquaintances
(friends on a social network, or a follower in a micro-blog site,
or contents on an address-book, etc.). Alternatively, the step may
include targeting content to a user based on the
user-acquaintance's preferences, or based the user-acquaintance's
prior visited content page, or based the user-acquaintance's prior
good or service purchased, or based the user-acquaintance's prior
add clicked, or based on any correlation of one user to another
user.
[0063] Another preferred method include a steps of: deriving a
first classification group of a particular user's previously viewed
pages; deriving a second classification group of the particular
user's requested page; analyzing the second classification group
and the first classification group to find commonalities; and using
the commonalities to locate related content for display to the
user.
[0064] Another preferred method includes a step of the server
computer assigning an Internet domain to each registering user with
the server computer. The server computer uses the user's Internet
domain to locate the registered user's resource stored in the
server computer and to supply to a requesting client the registered
user's resource to be displayed by a client device. The server
computer assigned Internet domain may be free of charge to the
registered user. The server assigned Internet domain may be the
actual identification used by the user to register with the server
computer; it may be a domain automatically assigned by the server
computer to the registered user; or it may be a domain chosen by
the registered user and not associated with the registered user's
registration identification stored in the server computer. This
method may be implemented in a social network, a portal, a shopping
mall or at any other type of website where a plurality of users
register and at least one registered user has a resource stored in
the server computer. The resource may be any kind including:
content of any kind, profiling data, prior user's activities, and
any other resource that belongs to the user or is in the user's
procession.
[0065] Another preferred method involves a second user (user-b) of
a website who presents additional content on the server, the
additional content belongs to another user (first user--user-a),
and the additional content is presented in a virtual form. A third
user (user-c), who may be associated with the second user, may
elect to receive the second content automatically, that is, once
the second user presents the second content. The server permits the
third user to have such additional content displayed automatically
by election stored in the third user's profile. The server may
allow a third user to elect to accept all such additional content,
or elect to receive a segment of the additional content related to
a specific category, sub-category, classification, etc.
[0066] Another preferred method includes a step of offering a
coupon to the clicker and/or the content provider, or any involved
party responsible for generating the income stream related to the
clicker's interaction with the paid content. The coupon may be
redeemed at the offering location if the user/clicker has stayed a
certain time at a particular webpage, website, or has answered a
question or has filled-in a form at the targeting site, the
targeting site is the advertiser's site or a site selling a product
or a service that the clicker has interacted with and the clicker
was redirected from the site presenting the advertising, good or
service for sale to the target site. The service doesn't have to be
a service for sale it may be a service not offered for sale.
[0067] Another preferred method includes a step of receiving at a
hosting server a user request for content. The content requested by
the user has a user-initiated association with a first content
hosted by a remote host. The hosting server retrieves the content
requested by the user from non-transitory storage at the content
host, such retrieval is preferably based on an authorization
identification to access a URL-location of the remote host. The
hosting server uses the URL-location of the remote host and opens a
communication connection with the remote host. The hosting server
receives from the remote host the content, preferably after
transmitting the authorization identification to the remote host.
The hosting server then renders the received content with the
user's requested content in a content page and transmits the
content page to be viewed at a client device.
[0068] Another preferred method includes a step of targeting
content based on the user's GPS and ground direction: receiving at
the computer a GPS location, a ground direction and a user set
distance from the GPS location; the computer using the received GPS
location, the ground direction and the user preset distance from
the GPS location to locate a content that is associated with the
received GPS location parameter; deriving a ground location at a
distance away from the user's current location of the user's
portable device by adding the user-set distance to the GPS location
(longitude and/or the latitude); and, the computer serving the
content to the portable device. Alternatively, the method may
include a step of the computer detecting the user's location and if
the user is at a business associated with a prior presented
discount, deducting the discount from the user's bill.
[0069] Theory of Internet Communication
[0070] FIG. 5 illustrates a server (500), the Internet channel
(502) and a client computer (506). The Internet channel (502) is
the communication channel between the client computer (506) and the
server (500). The client computer (506) initiates a request for
contents from the server (500) and the server (500) returns
contents thereafter. The Internet is the transport vehicle for
transporting data between the two computers. Each computer of the
illustrated arrangement, the server (500) and the client computer
(506), has a central processing unit, CPU, (512) responsible for
its functionalities.
[0071] The electronic unit (550) housing the CPU (512) may or may
not have all the components depicted in FIG. 5, or it may have more
components than those depicted on the electronic unit (550). In any
case, each electronic unit (550) will have at least some basic
electronic components like the CPU (512) and it is the brain of the
device responsible for all of the device's functionalities. At
power up, the CPU (512) loads instructions from ROM (518) and the
instructions will instruct the CPU (512) to load an Operating
System (OS) from the storage unit (526). A typical storage unit is
a hard drive, other magnetic disc, Compact Disk Read Only Memory
(CD ROM). The OS is loaded into Random Access Memory (RAM) (530).
As needed, the electronic device communicates with outside
environment through its Input/Output (I/O) port (528) and in the
case of the illustrated devices, it is a network card that allows
communication using the Internet.
[0072] The CPU (512) communicates differently with each component
in the electronic unit (550). In some cases, the communication and
interaction is two-way and in other instances, one-way. For the
electronic unit (550), the CPU (512) does a one-way communication
with the ROM (518) (first one-way arrow (516)) and two-way
communication with all other devices as indicated by two-way arrows
(first two-way arrow (514), second two-way arrow (520), third
two-way arrow (522) and fourth two-way arrow (524). Each component
will have input means as well, like a mouse, keyboard, and other
visual interfacing means like a screen, etc. The invention may be
implemented in any kind of electronic device, such as a cell phone,
smart mobile phone, mobile and non-mobile devices, portable and
non-portable devices, or any other computing device. The method
disclosed herein may employ software downloaded and used by any
computing device including a combination of online and offline
computing devices. It may be a combination of online host and other
portable devices.
[0073] Participating parties use the aforementioned arrangement of
FIG. 5 to register with the content distributor server and provide
the profiling information for the purpose of the user's interaction
with it. The clicker will be logged in with the content distributor
server, as to enable the content distributor server to track the
clicker's activities therewith. The method may be implemented when
the clicker is not logged in with the content distributor or any
other server. In this implementation, the clicker's activities are
tracked by using a cookie at the client device to log the clicker's
activities, without requiring the clicker to be logged in to the
server.
[0074] FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred method involving a Content
Distributor (106) (the host of non-paid contents and paid-contents)
provides a content page (100) having Content A (114) and
Advertisings A-D (116), Content A (114) was supplied by Content
Distributor (106) from the Content group (102) (the first content)
and Advertisings A-D (116) from the Advertising group (104). As
indicated by the first arrow (118), second arrow (120), third arrow
(122), and fourth arrow (124), Content Distributor (106) has
association with the content writer (112), Web Site (108) and
clicker (110). As for Content A (114) it has relationship with
content writer (112) and content page (100) has relationship with
Web Site (108) (or content host like a portable device) as
indicated by fifth arrow (126) and sixth arrow (128),
respectively.
[0075] As indicated by second arrow (120), content writer (112)
uploads or provides contents at the Content Distributor (106). As
indicated by the sixth arrow (128), Web Site (108) places Content A
(114) therein. Content A (114) is supplied (indicated by first
arrow (118)) by the Content Distributor (106). The Content
Distributor (106) adds Advertisings (116) to the Web Site (108),
which is also represented by the content page (100). The content
page (100) may be generated by the Web Site (108) or by the Content
Distributor (106). If generated by the Content Distributor (106),
the content page (100) is made available to Web Site (108). The Web
Site (108) then makes it available to a connected client device.
The Web Site (108) may be any kind of web host including a portable
device or in any kind of device that has memory for storing
content. The combination of Content Distributor (106) and Web Site
(108) may be a combination of devices linked to one another or not
linked to one another at all. It may be a combination of online and
offline devices, or a combination of portable and non portable
devices.
[0076] Once the clicker (110) clicks on Advertisings (116), Content
Distributor (106) updates the Clicker database-table (202), the Web
Site database-table (200) and the Content Writer database-table
(204). The Clicker database-table (202), Web Site database-table
(200) and the Content Writer database-table (204). This is
illustrated as a single table including all of the user's/site's
profiling and interaction data; however, as with FIG. 6, each may
be split in more than one table. The arrangements of FIG. 2 are one
example used for the purpose of illustrating the concept using a
single table and for the sake of simplicity, as well.
[0077] FIG. 3 illustrates a further embodiment of FIG. 1 with the
addition of a group of clickers (302) and a group of web sites
(300). Content distributor (106) makes its contents and
advertisings available (indicated by seventh arrow (304)) to a
plurality of hosting environments and a group of clickers (302)
enters clicks (indicated by eighth arrow (306)) on those
advertisings. FIG. 3 illustrates that this method enhances the
advertising and publication processes and incentivizes the parties
in ways not currently available, by encouraging creation of
available contents and increasing the income stream for all
involved parties.
[0078] FIG. 4 illustrates a further embodiment of FIG. 1 and FIG.
3. The Internet is a global grid where contents are virtually and
dynamically hosted and available to a broad-worldwide user base as
never before possible and offering a tremendous potential for the
content provider, content host, content distributor and clicker.
FIG. 4 shows two dynamic content providers (physically hosting the
contents) and they are: Dynamic Content Provider A (406) hosting
two contents: Content A-1 (404) and dynamic Content A-2 (408); and
dynamic Content Provider B (418) hosting two contents: dynamic
Content B-1 (416) and Content B-2 (420).
[0079] Preferably there are many registered users within a content
distributor system, reader user, clicker user, content providers,
hosting sites and others. The system includes the server the
content distributor, and any other component like a portal, a mall,
a social network, a blog host, etc.). The system assigns a domain
to each registered user. The domain may be assigned at the time a
user registers with the system or at any other time the user
requests the system to do so. For example, the server may assign a
domain automatically to the user at the time the user registers
with the server. Such assignment may or may not be related to the
user's registration data. The domain may be related to the user's
identification with the system (user's ID) or any other
identification that the user may choose. The server will allow the
domain to be used by other users to locate the hosting site or the
user's profile if the method is implemented in a social network
environment, in a shopping site or in an electronic shopping mall,
etc. The Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for the domain is typed by
a user at the user's browser like `www.usera.abc` where the `users`
is the user's identification, an identification chosen by the user,
or an identification that the system has assigned to the user. The
`abc` is the generic top-level domain used to locate the user's
resource stored in the server on the Internet or on an
Intranet-network. The server assigned domain may or may not be of
free charge to the registered user.
[0080] The user's assigned personal domain may be employed to
assign any resource to the user. Such resource may be: a software
application associated with the user's identification store in the
server; an e-mail address associated with the user's domain
assigned to the user and used by the server to locate the user's
e-mail activities stored in the server and associated with the
user's personal domain address; the user's personal files like
downloaded video file, audio file, presentation file, etc.; a
software application associated with the user and used to play
video file, presentation file, audio file, etc.; or any kind of
content the user may have stored in the user's personal domain and
that is available to the user online
[0081] FIG. 4 illustrates Content Provider A (406), Content
Provider B (418), Content Provider C (410) and Clicker (414). There
may be a plurality of system assigned domains that are
automatically assigned to the user at the time the user registers
with the system. For instance, for Content Provider A (406), the
domain may be contentprovidera.abc (.abc is used for exemplary
purpose but it may be .com or any other generic top-level domain),
for Content Provider B (418), it may be contentproviderb.abc, for
Content Provider C (410), it may be contentproviderc.abc, and for
Clicker (414) it may be clicker.abc. The automatically assigned
Internet domain may be assigned at the time of the user's
registration with the server computer without any charge to the
user and without charging the user any maintenance fee for the
assigned domain. Alternatively, It may be assigned with a charge to
the user for the domain and/or a charge to the user for the domain
maintenance fee.
[0082] In FIG. 4, Content Provider C (410) may be a virtual content
host. In this case, Virtual Content A-2 (400) and Virtual Content
B-1 (412) are hosted virtually on Content Provider C (410). Virtual
Content B-1 (412) is a copy of dynamic Content B-1 (416) and the
Virtual Content A-2 (400) is a copy of dynamic Content A-2 (408).
Content Provider C (410) virtual hosting may be in any form.
Examples include: Content Provider C (410) acts as a go-in-between
the other two content hosts; and Content Provider C (410) retrieves
and stores a copy of both contents at the control of the Content
Provider C (410). The content type may be of any content type
including goods for sale, advertising, services for sale, services
for user without a sale, etc. Advertisings (402) is placed at the
dynamic Content A-2 (408) and the Virtual Content A-2 (400) as
well.
[0083] FIG. 4 depicts the interaction that happens within the
Content Distributor (106) of FIG. 1. Clicker (414) shows arrows
connecting with Dynamic Content B-1 (416) and the Virtual Content
B-1 (412) and this indicates that Clicker (414) is interacting (by
clicking) on this content. Dynamic Content Provider B (418),
Dynamic Content Provider A (406) and virtual content hosting sites
are not necessarily integrated within the infrastructure of Content
Distributor (106) of FIG. 1. They can be located anywhere on the
Internet/Network and communicating with the content distributor
using web services link.
[0084] An alternative method may be implemented when computer code
to implement the algorithm of the method is stored in a
non-transient storage medium in a server computer. This method
includes a step of registering a user to access the server
computer. Registering typically involves the user supplying an
identification to the server computer and the server computer
saving the user-supplied identification in the non-transient
storage medium. This method includes another step of the server
computer assigning an Internet domain to the registered user. Upon
receiving a request for the user's resource stored in the server
computer, the server computer uses the assigned Internet domain to
locate the registered user's resource stored in the non-transient
medium. The server computer assigned Internet domain may be free of
any charge to the registered user. The server computer assigned
Internet domain may be based on the registered user's
identification stored in the server computer. The server computer
assigned Internet domain may be automatically generated by the
server computer. The server computer assigned Internet domain may
be chosen by the registered user. Preferably, when chosen by the
registered user, the server computer assigned Internet domain is
not the registered user's identification stored in the server
computer's non-transient storage medium.
[0085] FIG. 6 is a further embodiment of FIG. 2 showing the three
tables of FIG. 2 split into more than one table. Rows 1-7 of Web
site database-table (200) illustrate the site's profiling data and
rows 8-9, illustrate the number of clicks and number of views for
the website. Clicker database-table (202), rows 1-7 illustrate the
clicker's profiling data and rows 8-9, the clicker's activities.
Rows 1-8 of Content Writer database-table (204) illustrate the
writer's profiling data and rows 9-10, the activities with the
writer's contents.
[0086] Tables illustrated in FIG. 6 relate to several rows in the
tables of FIG. 2, namely: the Web site database-table (200), row 7
(SiteID), row 8 (# Clicks) and row 9 (# Views); the Clicker
database-table (202), row 7 (clicker-ID) and row 8 (# Clicks) and
row 9 (# Views); and the Content writer database-table (204), row 7
(WriterID), row 8 (ContentID), row 9 (# Clicks) and row 10 (#
Views).
[0087] FIG. 6 shows tables related to the link (600): click-time
table (602) contains three rows and four columns. The column
"ClickerID" illustrates the ID for the user doing the clicking (if
the user were not logged in, then this column would have no user
identification stored in it). The ClickerID provides the means for
the Content Distributor (106) to track the clicker activities and
also a means for preventing the clicker from clicking over links of
paid content for the purpose of fraudulently accumulating
commission. In other words, the "ClickerID" is used to prevent
fraud. Column "ClickTime" stores the time for the last click of the
clicker. The column "ClickID" stores a unique ID assigned to each
click and it will be a way of tracking the links sent to the
clicker and the clicker interaction with them. Typically, the
"ClickID" will have a longer value than those of FIG. 6.
[0088] The column "ContentID" depicts the ID for each content. A
waiting time threshold may be setup (not shown) so as not to allow
a paid content to be charged for multiple appearances during a time
frame, or to be allowed to appear to the same viewer only a
specified number of times during the session, etc. The "ContentID"
is used to identify the source of multiple clicks over the same
content by the same clicker and invalidate those clicks in such
situations, thus preventing fraud. Thus, a preferred method
optionally includes a step of setting a maximum number of times
that paid content can be displayed to the user. Alternatively, the
method may include a step of setting a minimum time period which
must elapse before the user may redisplay a previously displayed
paid-content on the content page.
[0089] Link (600) connects to any of the links to Advertisings
(116) of FIG. 1, that is, part of the displayed content page (100)
at the Web Site (108). The link (600) provides a means to connect
to the website where the user is to be redirected to once the user
clicks on a paid content "www.contentdistributor.com." The link in
this example is to Content Distributor (106) of FIG. 1,
"ClickerID=msclicker" and it is row 7 of Clicker database-table
(202) of FIG. 2, "WriterID=mrwriter" and it is row 7 of Content
Writer database-table (204), "SiteID=WWWebID" and it is row 7 of
Web Site database-table (200), "ContentID=Cont456" and it is row 8
of Content Writer database-table (204), and "ClickID=CL456" and it
is assigned by the Content Distributor (106) of FIG. 1 to the paid
content to identify its location once it is clicked upon and it is
the value of row 2 column "ClickID" of click-time table (602).
[0090] If the clicker (user) is not logged in then a cookie is used
to track the clicker's activities and the clicker will not be
compensated until the clicker either registers, if not registered,
or the clicker logs in, if the clicker is registered and not logged
in. The method may include a step of managing a situation where a
cookie is used to track the clicker's activities and to record the
clicker's activity on the server by storing a value in the
cookie-file at the client device. Logged activities on the server
may be saved for an indefinite time that may be related to a
plurality of clicker's sessions with the server.
[0091] When the clicker (user) registers or connects with the
server at any user's session with the server, the server may then
notify the clicker of the clicker's accumulated points, may notify
the clicker of any accumulated commission, and may pay the clicker
accordingly. The server may notify the user (clicker) of
accumulated points or commission at any time the server is
delivering paid and non-paid content to the user even if the user
is not registered with the server. The server may notify the user
of the need to register by sending a link or a displayable notice
to the user and by interacting with the link or displayable notice,
the user may register and claim the accumulated points or
commission.
[0092] The involved parties are preferably registered with the
content distributor's server and the clicker may have to be logged
in so as to record the clicking activities and to subsequently
enable compensation of all involved parties. As indicated, the
method may be implemented by a user doing the clicking who is not
registered. If the clicker is not registered then all the other
parties will be compensated except the clicker. When a clicker is
clicking and viewing paid content the content distributor's server
will track the clicker activities for two purposes: to prevent
fraud and to pay all of the involved parties. The content
distributor's server will have a waiting time-threshold set therein
to prevent a clicker from clicking on the paid contents just for
the purpose of accumulating commission and for the sake of an
example, the waiting time-threshold may be set to a few seconds or
to two minutes.
[0093] In click-time table (602), the first column is for the
"ClickerID." Once a clicker clicks on paid content, the content
distributor's server will log the clicker ID (first column, which
is the same as row 7, Clicker database-table (202)). If the clicker
is not a registered clicker, then row 7 will be empty and the
server may use a cookie at the clicker computer to track the
clicker. If a cookie is used, then the cookie key-value may be
entered in the row 7. The second column has "ClickTime," which is
the time the user clicked on the paid content. The first row shows
the time of "12:05 AM" and for the second row the time "12:06 AM."
The waiting time-threshold is two minutes. In subtracting the two
values (row 1 and row 2), the time spent is only one minute and so
only the first click is recorded and the second click is
disregarded.
[0094] Referring to FIG. 6, once a clicker "msclicker" clicks on a
paid content's link, the content server will receive the
information about the click from the link (600) and as it retrieves
and parses it, the click ID "ClickID" will be used to locate the
stored information for the clicker in click-time table (602). Once
the table row is retrieved the content distributor's server will
verify the waiting time-threshold by comparing the previous click
(row 2 is compared with row 1) and if the two clicks do not occur
after the waiting time-threshold of two minutes, then the second
click is discarded.
[0095] If the second click is not charged to the advertiser, then
neither the clicker nor anyone else gets paid for the second click,
thus preventing fraud. The waiting time-threshold can be any value
and not necessary two minutes, as noted in this example. For
instance, the waiting time-threshold could be just a few seconds,
for instance. Further along the interaction the clicker clicks on
another paid content and this time the third row is compared with
the second row and as indicated, three minutes will have elapsed
and the waiting time-threshold met, thus the second click is
recorded on subsequent tables, that is, it is paid to all
participating parties.
[0096] In click-count table (604) column "ClickCount," the value of
"1" is stored for the first click of click-time table (602) for the
clicker "msclicker" column "ClickerID." If the second click is
charged, then the ClickCount column (604) will have the value of
`2.` Clicker-ID table (606) stores the clicker's activities and it
has for the first column "ClickerID" and it is the ID for the
clicker, the second column it has "SiteID" and it is the ID for the
site where the clicker is accessing and has clicked on the paid
content, the third column has "WriterID" and it is the ID for the
content provider/writer, the third column has "ContentID" and it is
the ID for the second click (row 2 of click-time table (602) and
retrieved from link (600)) and the last column (fifth column)
illustrated how long the clicker stayed on the page, this is
important for deducing user's interest on the clicked paid-content
and for marketing purposes.
[0097] Thus, a preferred method of web site development based on
advertising revenue sharing will include steps of: registering a
provider to prepare free content subject to a condition that the
provider may receive no compensation for the non-paid content;
receiving paid content; combining the free content with the paid
content on a content page; sending the content page for display on
a computer; enabling a user to access the computer and display the
content page; calculating a gross total of times the user displays
the content page; determining a net total by subtracting from the
gross total the number of subsequent times the user accesses the
content page before expiration of a waiting-time threshold from an
immediately preceding access; receiving payment from the advertiser
for the net total; and paying the provider for the net total.
[0098] Alternatively, for hosts not involving web sites, a
preferred method of host development based on advertising revenue
sharing will include steps of: registering a provider to prepare
non-paid content subject to a condition that the provider may
receive no compensation for the non-paid content; transmitting the
non-paid content to a content distributor; receiving at a host: the
non-paid content sent by the content distributer; and paid content
from an advertiser, the paid content comprising a link to
additional information; combining the non-paid content and the paid
content into a page; displaying the page on the host; totaling a
number of interactions by a user with the link; receiving payment
from the advertiser for the number of interactions with the link;
and paying the provider for the number of interactions with the
link. Optional additional steps include of paying the content
distributor for the number of interactions with the link; and
incorporating the non-paid content into the page as virtual
content.
[0099] An alternate preferred method of web site development based
on advertising revenue sharing will include steps of: providing a
server computer; combining content with an advertisement; sending
the content and advertisement to a user accessing the server
computer; receiving at the server computer a first click on the
advertisement, the first click sent by a user; saving a first
indication of receiving the first click; receiving a second click
on the advertisement, the second click sent by a user; setting a
time period; determining if the second click is received after
expiration of the time period; saving a second indication of the
second click if the second click occurs after expiration of the
time period; and charging an advertiser for each saved
indication.
[0100] Writer-ID table (608) illustrates "WriterID" for the first
column and it is the ID for the writer (content provider), the
second column "ContentID" has the ID for the content and the third
column has "NumberClicks" it has the total number of clicks that
the content has received from all clickers and as for this
illustration it is "10", and, it means that content "Cont456"
written by "mrwriter" has received "10" clicks from all users
(clickers). Lastly, content-host table (610) illustrates for the
first column "SiteID" and it is the ID for the web site hosting the
content, the second column "ContentID" is the ID for the content
that was hosted by the site and receive the click on the paid
content and the third column is "NumberClicks" has the number of
clicks that the content "Cont456" has received from all clickers
while hosted at the site "WWWebID" and it has received "10" clicks
so far. Other tables can be present as well, and anyone with the
skill in the art will readily appreciate in relation to the
disclosure given herein and implement them as necessary.
[0101] FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart for the tables of FIG. 6 at
the content distributor's server. At the very beginning, the
"Start" (700), the logic flow and the means for detecting the user
clicks (702), after a click is detected as it was illustrated on
the link (600) of FIG. 6, the time is set for the user and the
content, as it was illustrated on click-time table (602) of FIG. 6
and indicated by the database symbol next to the set-time box
(704). Once a click is received, the content distributor's server
checks to see if the click is within the waiting time-threshold as
aforementioned, if it isn't (yes/no diamond (706)), then the flow
will move on without doing anything, if it is (yes/no diamond
(706)), then the click will be incremented, increment-clicks box
(708), and it is the click-count table (604) of FIG. 6, the click
will be saved for the clicker, save-clicker history box (710), and
it is clicker-ID table (606) of FIG. 6, the click will be saved for
the writer (712) and it is writer-ID table (608) of FIG. 6, the
click will be saved for the content-hosting site (714) and it is
content-host table (610) of FIG. 6 and finally, the process will
exit, end-oval (716).
[0102] Regarding the commission that will be paid to each
participating party of the program, it may be set as a percentage
or a fraction of each click and since each advertising will
typically be priced differently, a typical percentage might be 10%
for the writer, 10% for the content hosting site and 10% for the
clicker. Of course, this is just an illustration and the percentage
may be set in any conceivable way. The idea is that all of the
participating parties will be compensated for their participation
in the process of generating income for the content
distributor.
[0103] The commission can be based on as per click mechanism where
a clicker will receive a specific amount for the click. The
commission can be based on redeemable points, where each click
represents a number of points that can be redeemed for other
amenities, cash value, goods, etc. As for the website hosting the
contents from the content distributors and for the content writer
supplying the content to the content distributor, they both will be
tracked the content distributor as it places contents on the web
site. The paid and non-paid content don't necessary need to be on a
single page, they can be in separate pages, popup window, frames,
etc. The content distributor can host user-supplied content as well
along with paid contents.
[0104] The commission may as well be setup in such a way that the
commission and or redeemable points be assigned by the commission's
recipient (clicker, content provider, content host, etc.) to
another entity like a non-profit organization and once a click
happens in advertising or a purchase of goods or services are made
the commission goes directly to the non-profit of the recipient's
choice. The commission may be done in a way that the recipient's
commission is split with two or more organizations chosen by the
recipient. The organizations can be for-profit and non-profit
organizations without departing from the true spirit of the
invention. The organizations receiving commission from the
commission's recipient may as well be registered organizations with
the system and having an account setup with the system as to
facilitate the commission assignment.
[0105] The form for compensating the involved parties may be based
on a mechanism revolving around pay-per-view (for the appearance of
a paid content on a webpage). All parties would then receive a
commission based on the number of times the non-paid content
appeared on each webpage along with the paid content. The mechanism
may be setup to use the waiting-time threshold, as previously
discussed. The system may be setup to just login the number of
times the involved parties interact with the paid content and be
compensated the same way as it has been explained for the clicking
mechanism. Since anyone with the skill of the art will readily know
how to implement the pay-per-view mechanism based on the
explanation already given for the pay-per-click mechanism, the
pay-per-view mechanism will not be explained any further for the
fact that the explanation will be redundant. It is done as is for
sake of simplicity and not in any way intended to obscure this
invention. Furthermore, as it is well known to those of the skill
in the art, paid and non-paid content can be any kind of content in
any format, e.g. audio, video, print, slide presentation, maps,
images, goods for sale, etc., as well, the compensation can be
based on just when the interaction happens with paid contents,
instead of the relationship of paid and non-paid content as it has
been described throughout this disclosure.
[0106] Encrypted IP address to Prevent Click Fraud
[0107] Click fraud may also be prevented using methods other than
the method described herein while teaching uses of time-threshold.
One such method involves an advertising accessed by an advertising
link clicked on by a user at a client device. The advertising link
includes the client IP (Internet Protocol) Address where a first
user is clicking on advertisings and viewing contents. The IP
address is encrypted and only the server can decrypt the IP Address
once a click is performed on the advertising link. If the first
user gives the advertising link to a second user, so as to enable
the second user to click on the link for the purpose of generating
income to the first user, the server will receive the encrypted IP
address, decrypt it and match with the current-user's IP address
where the click originated. If that IP address is the same as the
IP address of the client computer, then the click is valid and will
be charged to the advertiser. If that IP address is not the same as
the IP address of the client computer, then the click may be
considered fraud since the link was moved from the intended first
user to the second user at a different location. Thus, the click
from the second user will be invalidated. So the server will
receive the IP address from the client device where the user is
accessing the server, this happens the first time the user accesses
the server computer. Once the server sends the advertising to the
client device, the server will have encrypted the IP address and
embedded it in the advertising link that the user will click. After
the user clicks on the link, the client device would then send the
encrypted IP address to the server for the server's verification
and validation.
[0108] A preferred method may prevent fraud by implementing steps
of: concatenating an original URL with an ID of a first user to
form a concatenated URL; receiving a click from requesting display
the concatenated URL at the server; decrypting the concatenated URL
to create an identified URL and the first user's ID; verifying if
the identified URL matches the original URL; validating the click
if they match; if they don't match, then either the server warning
the first user about an attempt to commit fraud, or the server
suspending the first user from further interaction with the
server.
[0109] FIG. 8 illustrates a logic flow of such a method. The
process starts with oval (800) once a user accesses the server. In
a FIG. 8 first step (802), the server receives an IP address from
the client device where the user is accessing the server from. In a
FIG. 8 second step (804), the server then encrypts the IP address
and sends it back to the client device in a link, designated by the
link. In a FIG. 8 third step (806), the user then clicks on a link
that includes the encrypted IP address. In a FIG. 8 fourth step
(808), the encrypted IP address is received by the server and the
server decrypts the encrypted IP address. In a FIG. 8 fifth step
(810), the server compares the two IP addresses: the one received
in the first step (802); and the one decrypted in the fourth step
(808). If the two IP addresses are the same, then in a FIG. 8 sixth
step (812), the click is validated; otherwise it is not and the
process ends at FIG. 8 ellipse (814).
[0110] A preferred method comprises a hosting-computing device
receiving a first request from a client-computing device the
request comprising a IP address, the hosting-computing device
encrypting the received IP address and including the encrypted IP
address in link or form elements that are subsequent sent to the
client-computing device in subsequent served content pages to the
client-computing device from the hosting-computing device. The
hosting-computing device receiving a second request from the
client-computing device and the second request comprising the
encrypted IP address and the client-computing device's IP address.
The second request is an interaction to be counted as a
paid-interaction. The hosting-computing device decrypting the
received encrypted IP address and comparing the decrypted IP
address with the received client-computing device's IP address. If
the decrypted IP address matches the received client-computing
device's IP address then counting the interaction as a valid
paid-interaction. If the decrypted IP address does not match the
received client-computing device's IP address, then the interaction
is voided.
[0111] Using a Cookie to Track an Un-logged User
[0112] A preferred method uses more than one process to track a
user. While a registered and logged in user is one method of
tracking a user, another method is to track a user even when the
user is not registered, or a registered user is not logged in. In
this circumstance, the objective is then limited to paying the
content provider and/or the content host.
[0113] In tracking a user that is not logged in, a value is placed
in a cookie at the client device. The cookie value is also stored
at the server for each advertising sent to the client device, so
the client device and the server have the same cookie value. Once
the user logs in the server, the server then adds the user's
clicked advertising to the user account based on the cookie value
at the server and client device. If the user does not log in or the
user is not registered, then the user's clicks will be accounted
for and the content provider and/or the content host receive the
share of the advertising revenue generated by the user's clicks or
goods and services sold. The server may save the clicks for the
user at the client device by associating the cookie value to the
accumulated clicks and the saving may be for more one or more
user's session with the server and once the user registers with the
server then the server may pay the user for the accumulated
interactions.
[0114] FIG. 9 is a logic diagram illustrating the just described
method. The process starts at FIG. 9 oval (900). In FIG. 9 first
step (902), a user accesses the server. The server sends a cookie
value to the client device. In FIG. 9 second step (904), the user
clicks on an advertising link. In FIG. 9 third step (906), the
server associates the click to the cookie value and logs the click
and pays the content provider and/or the hosting site. In FIG. 9
fourth step (908), the server performs a process check to see if
the user is logged in. If the user is logged in, FIG. 9 fifth step
(910) is performed and the click is logged for the logged in user
and the process enables another user click at FIG. 9 second step
(904). If the user is not logged in, the FIG. 9 fifth step (910) is
not performed and the process reverts to FIG. 9 second step (904)
and awaits another user click.
[0115] A preferred method comprises the presentation of paid and
non-paid content displayed together in a content page. The non-paid
content is provided by a content provider and the paid-content
provided by an advertiser or by entities offering goods or services
for sale. The server tracks a user's interaction with the content
page by sending a cookie to the client device. The server computer
uses the tracking cookie code to calculate interactions with the
paid content and to pay the content provider and/or hosting site
for interactions with the paid content displayed with the
provider's non-paid content. The server uses the cookie tracking
code to accumulate interactions with paid-content that originates
from the client device at the current session or at prior sessions.
Once a user logs in with the server, the server using the cookie
tracking code, pays the logged in user for all accumulated user's
interaction with paid content.
[0116] Tracking a User's Length of Stay on an Advertiser's Page
[0117] Other processes are available for tracking the time length a
clicker stays at the advertising destination site. If the clicker
stays a certain amount of time (time threshold), the click is
validated, if not, the click is invalidated. There are many ways of
tracking how long the user stays in a content page. For example,
such tracking may be done by incorporating a JavaScript program in
the content page that notifies the server when the user leaves the
page after clicking on an advertising. Another example uses a bar
with code to do such tracking and this may be implemented through
the user's web browser or on the client device. If implemented on a
bar of the web browser, then the bar will check when the user
leaves one URL (Universal Resource Locator) and moves to another,
such as to navigate to another web site. Then the bar notifies the
server when the user has been redirected to another site. The
server then calculates the time spent on the prior visit by
checking the prior visit time stamp (first time stamp) with the
time stamp of the moment the user is redirected to the other site
or page (second time stamp). The comparison of the two time stamps
generates a time period by subtracting the second time stamp by the
first time stamp and the result of the subtraction derives the
length of time spent by the user at the prior content page (time
threshold). If the time period meets a preset time threshold, than
the click is validated.
[0118] Validation can occur once the user stays a certain time at
the advertiser's page, or once the user answer a question on the
advertiser page. Such validation might then enable charging the
advertiser for the click a higher rate, since the advertiser can be
assured that the user read and/or reviewed the advertiser's
content. In the case of answering a question at the advertiser's
web page, the process may be setup where the user's ID, associated
with the user answering the question, may be collected by the
advertiser's server and then matched with the user's ID stored in
the content hosting site's server for authenticity (server
associated with the charging of the advertiser).
[0119] The hosting server may track the user by logging the user's
ID associated with a webpage's ID or the actual URL of the webpage.
Once the advertiser makes a submission of the user's ID and either
the URL of the advertiser's webpage or an ID of the advertiser's
webpage, then the hosting server matches the submission with the
user's ID and the webpage's ID or the user's ID and the webpage's
URL stored in the hosting server. If there is a match, then the
advertiser is charged.
[0120] In an alternative process, a user's ID is saved in both the
advertiser's server and the hosting site's server. The hosting
server may also log the user's ID and the URL or ID of the page
that received the click. Then the hosting server may associate the
user's ID with a time's stamp indicating the time the user clicked
on the advertising. The content may be displayed in any conceivable
manner whatsoever and not necessarily a webpage, it may be any kind
of content page.
[0121] In an alternative process, a user's ID is used by both the
advertiser server and the hosting site to match the user visit to
the advertiser's website. For instance, if both servers contain the
user's ID for the advertiser's webpage, then the click is validated
and charge from the advertiser. So, after a user clicks on the
advertising, the hosting server will log the user's ID and the
advertiser server (or may be a site selling goods or services) logs
the user's ID as well and then both servers match the user's ID to
validate the user's click. Alternatively, a combination may be
used, for example user's ID and time stamp, or the user's ID and
the content page's ID, or the user's ID and the content-page
URL.
[0122] FIG. 10 illustrates a preferred process and FIG. 10 oval
(1000) starts the process. In FIG. 10 first step (1002), the server
receives a user first access from a client device and the server
sets a first time stamp for the user visit. In FIG. 10 second step
(1004), the server receives a user second access from a client and
the server set a second time stamp for the user visit. In FIG. 10
third step (1006), the server checks to see if the time period
associated with the client access meets the time threshold. If so,
then in FIG. 10 fourth step (1008), the advertiser is charged and
the process ends at FIG. 10 end-oval (1010). If not, then the
advertiser is not charged and process ends at FIG. 10 end-oval
(1010).
[0123] A preferred method comprises tracking the time a user stays
at a specific page. The client device sends a code and a URL string
of the page the user is navigating to at the server computer. The
code is used by to track the length a user stays at specific
content pages. The server saves a timestamp of the user's arrival
at a content page and associates the timestamp with the user's ID
at the server, or associates a cookie tracking mechanism like a
code stored in the client computer. If the user's stay at a
specific content page is equal to or longer than a preset time
threshold, then the advertiser is charged. If the user's stay at
the specific content page is less than a preset time threshold,
then no charge is assessed.
[0124] Tracking a User by Requiring an Answer from the User at a
Target Webpage
[0125] A preferred method tracks a user for the purpose of
compensating the all involved parties for the user's interaction
with the content page. Tracking may be implemented on a browser on
the client device, or on the server to check if the clicker scrolls
the page at the destination site after clicking on advertising. If
the clicker scrolls the page, then the click costs assessed to the
advertiser may higher than if the clicker does not scroll the page.
Alternatively, if the user scrolls to a certain place on the
destination webpage where a hint is present and if the user/clicker
interacts with the hint, then the hint may present a question that
can be answered with information found on the destination page (the
page of the clicked advertising, the advertiser's content page). If
the user answers the question correctly, then the user may receive:
redeemable points; receive a higher percentage for the click; or
receive a combination of commission and redeemable points. The
higher commission may apply all involved parties, the clicker, the
content provider, the content host, the content distributor or any
other party that happens to participate.
[0126] This embodiment may be incorporated with other embodiment as
to enhance click fraud prevention and to enhance trust on the part
of the advertiser, seller, user, etc. The content
destination-advertising page may have an answer to a hint on it,
for instance, "We've been in business since 1850 and our goals are
to serve our neighborhood." In this instance there may be a
question in a form element that may say "When we started our
business operation?" and the answer will be `1850` or, what is our
goal?" and the answer will be `serve our neighborhood` the answer
type may be in the form of a text field, dropdown, radio box, check
box, or any other type in any conceivable way.
[0127] Alternatively, the content destination-advertising page may
have a link with the answer and once the user clicks on the link
the user is redirected to a page that relates to the answer, like,
a page that is related to the year `1850` if the answer to the
question was `1850` as in the given example.
[0128] The content destination-advertising page may enable the user
to click on a link in order to validate the answer. The question
may be placed at the end of the page or just after the hint or
anywhere in the page in such way that the user will have to read
the content of the page to be able to answer the question properly.
The hint may be at the content page that includes the advertising
and the hint's answer may be in the advertiser's content page, or,
the hint and the hint's answer might the in advertiser's content
page.
[0129] FIG. 11 illustrates this embodiment. A content page (1100)
comprises a business description (1102), a question (1104) for the
user to answer, and a text area (1106) where the user can provide
the appropriate answer. The format of providing the appropriate
answer may be any format and not necessarily a text field. It may
be a checkbox, a radio box, a pull-down, or other means for the
user's selection. The method may be implemented on a client device
or on a combination of client device and server device, online and
offline, or just offline.
[0130] A preferred method comprises a webpage presentation where
the webpage content contains a question and an answer. The content
page includes a means like a form element for the user to provide
an answer to the question so as to confirm that the user has
reviewed the content on the content page. The client device submits
the user provided answer to the computer and the computer compares
the user's answer with the content page's correct answer stored in
the computer. If the user's answer to the question matches the
correct answer, then the content host is charged for the valid
answer and any involved party may be paid. An involved party may
have provided other contents or services associated with the income
stream generated by the user's correct answer. The content page
that requires a user's answer for validation may be an advertising
page, or a page having a good or service for sale. The user may
reach the page by clicking on a link from another page, like a page
of non-paid content provided by a content provider, or any other
type of content page. The method may be implemented on a client
device or on a combination of client device and server device,
online and offline, or just offline.
[0131] User Suggested Secondary Content for a Content Page
[0132] Preferred methods compensate all involved parties in the
process of generating an income stream including users who may
suggest advertising, good for sale or service for sale to another
user's content page. For instance, the content distributor or any
other party of the system will have a plurality of goods for sale,
advertising, services, user provided contents, etc.
[0133] A user reading a content page, a blog for instance, may be
better prepared to know what kind of good for sale, advertising,
services, or other contents, etc. best relate to the content being
read, since that user may already know a good for sale that the
user may have already purchased in the past and is related to the
content on the content page, that is, in the same area of interest
or the same classification, category, etc. Such a user would
already knows that other users reading the same content page would
be interested in purchasing similar goods or having other related
contents like advertising and services, or other contents related
to the content page.
[0134] Thus, in preferred methods, the user is empowered to suggest
a content to be related to the content page. When such suggestion
is implemented and another user clicks on a link of the suggested
content, the suggesting user receives a commission of the income
generated because of the user suggestion. The commission may be a
percentage or fraction of: the income generated by a click on an
advertisement; or the purchase of suggested goods and services,
etc. The concept is to compensate the suggesting user for the
suggestion.
[0135] An example of a situation involving a suggesting user
involves a first user reading a blog about a trip to San Francisco,
Calif. The first user knows of good restaurants, hotels, bars,
etc., in San Francisco to suggest. Because such a suggestion is
highly relevant, a second user reading the blog page may be more
inclined to click on an advertisement based on that suggestion, for
example, to make hotel reservation, purchase theatre tickets, etc.
The second user doing the reading has a high motivation to click
because the second user does not have to go through the process of
independently finding out information related to San Francisco,
Calif. because the first user already had the experience as a
former visitor of San Francisco or even a resident of San
Francisco.
[0136] FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 illustrate the above example. There is a
FIG. 12 content page (1200) that a first user is visiting and the
first user suggests advertising `Hotel ABC` (1202), `Restaurant
XYZ` (1204); goods for sale `Theatre Tickets` (1206) and a service
`Hotel Reservation` (1208).
[0137] There is a FIG. 13 content page (1300) shown after a second
user accesses the content page at a later time. The FIG. 13 content
page (1300) comprises FIG. 12 content page (1200 and FIG. 13
advertising (1302), which is same as `Hotel ABC` (1202); FIG. 13
Advertising (1304), which is `Restaurant XYZ` (1204); FIG. 13 Good
for sale (1306), which is `Theatre Tickets` (1206); and FIG. 13
service (1308), which is `Hotel Reservation` (1208).
[0138] Once a suggesting user suggests content to be related to a
content page, the content page owner, the content provider, may
have to approve the content to be related to the page, but this is
not a requirement.
[0139] Also, the suggested content may be related to suggesting
user's profiling information like, user's residence, user's hobby,
user's sex, user's income and many other user related data not
listed herein. The suggesting user may create a list of keywords to
be part of the user's profiling data, and the suggesting user's
suggested keywords may be used to further enhance the relationship
of the content presentation.
[0140] User profiling information may be used in such way that the
accessing user's profiling information may be used to designate the
position the related content appears in the page. If the related
content has information like keywords that are found in the
accessing user's profiling data then the content will be listed
higher on the content page, like the top position or the best
displaying location of the content page. The right or the left side
of the content page, the top or the bottom of the content and any
other conceivable way of place content on a content page.
[0141] The method may be further implemented where a bidding
process takes into account the user's profiling data, wherein the
user profiling data designates the best displaying location of the
web page for the content to be displayed. Bidding may or may not be
included in preferred embodiments, for instance, it may or may not
be associated with a user related content, it may be used for any
kind of bidding where the user's profiling data will be used to
related content to the user based on the user's profiling data, or
be used to relate content to the user based on the user's profiling
data and the content of the content page.
[0142] The method may include a bidding system where the bidder
bids for better positioning of the bidder's advertising, good or
service to be associated with a better viewing location of the
content page, the bidding method relates objects of the
advertising, good or service of the bidder with objects of the
viewing user's profiling data.
[0143] The method may include a step of the server relating
contents based on the suggesting user's profiling data. This may be
followed by a step of the server using the suggesting user's
profiling data along with the user's suggested contents to find
matches of other additional contents to be related to the content
page. The page would then have contents that are associated with
the user's profiling data plus the user's suggested content.
[0144] For instance, if the user suggests a content that states
`Hotel ABC` and the user's profiling data includes the words
`Oakland` then an additional content may be suggested for approval
that will be an advertising for `Hotel ABC in Oakland, Calif.,`
which is close to San Francisco, Calif. and may be more affordable.
The server may also employ the user's profiling data to identify
additional content related to the content page's content so as to
enhance the relevance of content page. Thus, the method may include
a step of presenting to the suggesting user additional contents for
the suggesting user's approval or the method may automatically
presents additional contents to the hosting site for the approval
of the content host.
[0145] Preferred methods enable a user's suggestion of secondary
contents to be associated with other content or to be included
remotely into other hosting environments as virtual contents, such
as where the suggested content resides at a remote location. In
such an embodiment, the method may be implemented where a webpage
displayed on the client web browser where the suggesting user may
activate and a secondary page display secondary contents from other
hosting locations, the other hosting locations may be at the same
server where the content page that the user will use to associate
content to is hosted, may be at a different URL, different domain
host, different server, on a client device, or none of these. The
suggesting user then selects an item (content, good, service, etc.)
and places the item into the receiving content page. The means for
the user to select the item may be: form elements; drag-and-drop;
or a copy and paste operation involving selecting a link (copying
the link) at a web site and pasting the link into the content page
receiving the suggestion. If a copy-and-paste operation is used and
the remote-hosting location associated with the link is not yet
associated with the hosting server, then the hosting server may
contact the remote-hosting location to inform it that user wants to
use the remote-hosting location's content to associate with content
of the hosting location. The hosting location may request or
suggest that the remote-hosting location register with the hosting
server. Preferred methods may associate remote contents from remote
hosts into a single host or into one or more hosts.
[0146] The suggested content may include other paid content on the
content page that is displayed to a user. If it does, then income
related to interactions with the paid content is preferably paid to
the owner of the suggested content page. The suggested content page
may have a frame where the accompanying paid content resides. Once
the client device processes the content page displayed on the
browser, the client device initiates a content request for the
content-owner's related paid content.
[0147] FIG. 14 illustrates a FIG. 12 content page (1200) in which a
user may suggest content to be related thereto. FIG. 14 is very
similar to FIG. 12, except that the content to be suggested resides
at a remote location (different URL, server, network domain, at the
same server with a different URL of the FIG. 12 content page
(1200), etc.). There are two remote locations: FIG. 14 first remote
location (1402) and FIG. 14 second remote location (1412). Both
locations reside at different domain addresses, but it can be
different URLs, servers, etc. FIG. 14 first remote location (1402)
comprises FIG. 14 first domain (1410) and it hosts a FIG. 14 good
for sale (1406) and FIG. 14 first advertising (1408). FIG. 14
second remote location (1412) comprises FIG. 14 domain (1418) and
FIG. 14 second service (1414) and FIG. 14 second advertising
(1416).
[0148] The method may include a step of enabling the suggesting
user to select content by the use of form elements, drag-and-drop,
cut and paste of a URL link, or any other method that will enable a
user to select an item. Remote locations may register or simply
list their domain address with the system and the system will fetch
the contents and present them to the suggesting user. The method
may be implement where the suggesting user simply performs a search
with terms like keywords, categories, descriptions and the server's
search mechanism will locate remote locations based on the provided
search term and display to the user the items for the user
selections. The method may be implemented where the search term is
used by peer-to-peer and the associated remote locations will be
presented to the suggesting user through a peer-to-peer
transportation means.
[0149] FIG. 15 illustrates a transportation mechanism used by a
preferred method. It comprises FIG. 12 content page (1200)
displayed to the user and a FIG. 15 database (1510) with a FIG. 15
database table (1511). FIG. 12 content page (1200) and FIG. 15
database (1510) resides at the hosting location of FIG. 12 content
page (1200). Once the system presents contents from FIG. 14 first
remote location (1402) and FIG. 14 second remote location (1412),
the system will initiate communication with both remote locations
and it may be implemented as depicted herein or it may be
implemented using other means if implemented locally but fetching
contents from different URL locations on a single domain address.
For example, the transportation mechanism may be by web-services or
a peer-to-peer connection.
[0150] Once contents from remote locations FIG. 14 first remote
location (1402) and FIG. 14 second remote location (1412) are
presented to the user for the user's selection, the server will
initiate communication (represented by FIG. 15 first arrow (1501)
and FIG. 15 second arrow (1504) through FIG. 15 SOCKET CONNETION A
(1502). At FIG. 14 first remote location (1402), FIG. 15 SOCKET
CONNETION A (1502) initiates a connection with FIG. 15 SOCKET
CONNECTION B (1506) and it is used to transport FIG. 14 good for
sale (1406) and FIG. 14 first advertising (1408). While
transporting FIG. 14 good for sale (1406), FIG. 15 SOCKET CONNETION
A (1502) initiates a connection with remote SOCKET CONNECTION B
(1506) and retrieves (represented by FIG. 15 third arrow (1512))
the FIG. 14 good for sale (1406) and the advertising (1408). The
same is true regarding the access to FIG. 14 second remote location
(1412) where FIG. 15 SOCKET CONNECTION A (1502) initiates a
connection with FIG. 15 SOCKET CONNECTION C (1508) and it is used
to transport (1514) FIG. 14 second service (1414) and FIG. 14
second advertising (1416) to be viewed by the suggesting user or to
be included into a content page to be consumed by a client
device.
[0151] FIG. 15 shows one FIG. 15 hosting-location server (1500) and
two remote locations: FIG. 15 first remote-location server (1515)
and FIG. 15 second remote-location server (1515-a)). Each remote
location contains contents. Each content at each remote location
server has a content ID that identifies the content at the remote
location server. The content ID is stored at the FIG. 15
hosting-location server (1500) in the FIG. 15 database table (1511)
of FIG. 15 identification column (1511-b) within the FIG. 15
database (1510).
[0152] The content ID may also be stored at the hosting-remote
location. The identifications are preferably stored at each
location's server: FIG. 15 first remote-location server (1515); and
FIG. 15 second remote-location server (1515-a). The identifications
are associated with each content stored therein.
[0153] FIG. 14 remote location (1402) stores FIG. 14 good for sale
(1406). FIG. 14 shows first domain (1410). In FIG. 15, in the first
domain (1410) stores the first content ID `AB` (1520) and it is
stored in the FIG. 15 database table (1511) as the first
identification (row #1, FIG. 15 number column (1511-c)); and for
FIG. 14 first advertising (1408) is second content ID `12` (1522)
also shown in FIG. 15 identification column (1511-b)) and it is
stored in the FIG. 15 database table (1511) as the second
identification (row #2, FIG. 15 number column (1511-c)), the same
explanation applies to both contents of FIG. 14 second remote
location (1412) where FIG. 14 service (1414) has an identification
`XY` (1524) and it is stored in the FIG. 15 database table (1511)
as the third identification (row #3, FIG. 15 number column
(1511-c)), and FIG. 14 advertising (1416) has an identification
`89` (1526) and it is stored in database table (1511) as the fourth
identification (row #4, FIG. 15 number column (1511-c)). A
transportation mechanism involving two remote hosts has been
illustrated, but it may be a single remote host or any number of
remote hosts without departing from the true spirit of the
teachings of the invention.
[0154] Each URL-location is associated with an identification
stored in the database FIG. 15 database table (1511), which the
hosting server uses to communicate with remote hosts: FIG. 14 first
remote location (1402) and FIG. 14 second remote location (1412).
Once a user accesses the FIG. 15 hosting-location server (1500) and
the user's request comprises a remote content associated with the
content page or for the selection by the suggesting user, the FIG.
15 hosting-location server (1500) retrieves the first content ID
`AB` (1520) and the second content ID `12` (1522) (rows #1 and #2
of FIG. 15 number column (1511-c)) stored in the FIG. 15 database
table (1511), FIG. 15 identification column (1511-b)). The FIG. 15
hosting-location server (1500) also retrieves the URL-location from
the `Location` column (1511-a) in FIG. 15 database table (1511),
which represents the FIG. 14 first domain (1410) for the FIG. 15
first remote-location server (1515). The FIG. 15 hosting-location
server (1500) uses the retrieved URL-location to communicate with
the FIG. 15 first remote-location server (1515), which is hosted at
FIG. 14 first domain (1410). The FIG. 15 hosting-location server
(1500) passes the identifications `AB` and `12` (rows #1 and #2 of
FIG. 15 number column (1511-c)) first remote-location server
(1515). FIG. 15 first remote-location server (1515) uses the
received identification `AB` to match first content ID `AB` (1520)
with the FIG. 14 good for sale (1406). The FIG. 15 first
remote-location server (1515) then returns the FIG. 14 good for
sale (1406) to the FIG. 15 hosting-location server (1500). The FIG.
15 hosting-location server (1500) then renders the received good
for sale (1406) into the page with the FIG. 12 content page (1200)
and the same is true for the FIG. 14 first advertising (1408). The
same explanation applies to all other identifications stored in the
FIG. 15 database table (1511) and the communication with the FIG.
15 second remote-location server (1515-a) follows the same
principle as for the communication for FIG. 15 first
remote-location server (1515) and the explanation given for the
FIG. 15 first remote-location server (1515) applies to FIG. 15
second remote-location server (1515-a) as well.
[0155] A user-suggested remote content may have other content from
the remote location associated with the user's suggested content.
Once the user's suggested content from the remote host is retrieved
by the hosting server, the hosting server implements steps of:
processing the received content page; and retrieving from the
remote location associated content to the user's suggested content.
Associated content is any type of content associated with the
user's suggested content and may be paid or non-paid content or a
combination of paid and non-paid content. If the associated content
is a paid content, then once the user interacts with it, the remote
server bills and receives the payment for the user interaction.
User interaction may be paid to the hosting server as well using
the same procedures described above in which all the involved
parties may get paid for the user interaction. For example, parties
such as the user doing the interaction, the website hosting the
content and the content provider.
[0156] The method may thus include steps of: receiving at a hosting
server a user request for a content and the content having an
association with a content hosted by a remote host; the hosting
server retrieving from a non-transitory storage at the content
host's an identification and a URL-location of the remote host; the
hosting server using the URL-location of the remote host and
opening a communication connection with the remote host and
transmitting to the remote host the identification; the hosting
server receiving from the remote host a content associated with the
identification; and, the hosting server rendering the received
content with the user's requested content in a content page and
transmitting the content page to be viewed by the user at a client
device. The association may be a user initiated association.
[0157] Once contents from the remote locations are displayed for
the suggesting user's selection there will be objects associated
with each content and the object will include the content's ID and
the content's ID will be saved at the content host's server hosting
the content, which receives the suggestion. The appropriate ID in
FIG. 15 identification column (1511-b) will be associated with the
content receiving the suggestion and be associated with the remote
location supplying the content. The `Location` column (1511-a) in
FIG. 15 database table (1511) contains content IDs for the FIG. 14
first remote location (1402) and FIG. 14 second remote location
(1412). For sake of simplicity, the ID of the content receiving the
suggestion, FIG. 12 content page (1200) or the suggesting user's ID
are not presented again in FIG. 15.
[0158] After the user's suggested contents are accepted, the
suggested content's ID, remote hosting location's ID or domain
address, and the content receiving the suggestion are saved at FIG.
15 database (1510). Thereafter, the system will use the saved
information to request remote content from the remote location any
time a user accesses the content page having the suggested content.
Or, the hosting server may copy the suggested content from the
remote location and save it in non-transitory memory on the hosting
server. Or, the suggested content may already be integral part of
the hosting server.
[0159] If the suggested contents are not saved in the hosting
server, the server will use the saved contents IDs and pass them to
the remote host in a string like: "<www.site-a.com?id=AB>"
and the FIG. 14 first remote location (1402) in this instance, will
return the `AB` (1520) content, FIG. 14 good for sale (1406), which
is associated with the `AB` (1520) identification. The passing may
be done differently where all the IDs associated with the remote
host may be sent at once and the remote host will return the
associated group of contents to the requesting hosting server. The
transportation means may be implement using web-control,
peer-to-peer, or any other means that may be used to transport
digital information between computers.
[0160] Preferred methods may be implemented to: aggregate remote
contents to a local-receiving host; use form elements;
drag-and-drop; and other available means not describe herein. Once
an object is select by the user, the receiving host will extract
the remote content's ID and the remote host's ID from the displayed
object and the extracted IDs will be used by the hosting server to
associate remote contents to the local hosted content, the content
receiving the suggestion. This is a novel approach since other
means will simply display the remote content and a link as to
enable a user to be redirected to the actual hosting location of
the hosted content. In this novel approach, the suggested content
is transparent to the user accessing the content page with the
suggested content rendered therein.
[0161] Preferred methods may be implemented such that the system
offers a variety of contents (advertising, goods for sale, services
for sale, etc.). A user may, at any time after beginning viewing
the content page, select a link or some other kind of selecting
means and the system will bring contents related to the objects of
the content page for the user selection. The user may type
keywords, category, subcategory, the actual name of the facility
and related contents will be displayed to the user. If the user
enters a name of a facility like a name of a hotel, the system may
bring advertising, goods for sale, services for sale, etc., from
the user's choice facility. The user will then make a selection and
once the page is displayed to a second user in the future, those
suggested contents are displayed on the content page, like content
related to the hotel the user suggested.
[0162] The displayed content may include a link to the suggesting
user's web page, like in a social network or a page within the
system and once the link is selected, the user will be redirected
to the page of the suggesting user. The displayed content may
include a link to the profile of the suggesting user, which may
display the profile without redirecting the user to the suggesting
user's profile page. The system may be implemented as to enable any
interested user viewing the page to contact the suggesting user
with more questions and hints. The purpose is to compensate the
suggesting user and the suggesting user will act as a seller to the
good, advertising or service. Selling happens once the contacting
user gets a reply back from the suggesting user, much like a sales
person offering additional information before a buyer is ready to
make a purchase.
[0163] Thus a preferred method will include steps of providing a
clickable link to paid content from a content distributor on the
server computer; and paying the content distributor for each click
on the clickable link to the paid content. This method may further
include steps of receiving the content from a provider subject to a
condition that the provider may receive no compensation for the
non-paid content; and paying the provider for each click on the
clickable link to the paid content.
[0164] A user-suggested business offering a good for sale or
service may also be contacted separately to suggest registering
with the server. A preferred method may be implemented by
contacting the user-suggested business to indicate that there are
users of the server that are interested in their offering. The
business may agree to register and enable its offerings to be
automatically incorporated into suggesting user's content pages.
Such business would also be a potential advertiser, thus submitting
paid content. User suggestions may be enabled by a user
cut-and-paste of a link from a remote content host; or by user
selection of a link at a remote content host.
[0165] Preferred methods may be implemented to enable businesses to
bid on space on non-paid content pages or on paid content pages
(e.g., with goods or services for sale) to enable positioning their
advertisement for use by suggesting users. For example, a business
may prefer their advertisement to appear at the top of a list once
a suggesting user views a list of additional offering (contents,
goods for sale, services for sale, advertisings, etc.) to be
related to content pages. The view may be based on a page that the
system presents to the user to make a selection and have the
selection related to the content page the user is viewing, or may
be based on keywords the user will enter in a search field of the
system page. The bidding process may be based on the highest bid
will have the highest (top) position, or the highest bid will have
keywords for the content to be suggested matching keywords of the
content page that will have the suggested content displayed in
(related thereto), or any other kind of bidding process that will
help a business entity to place their offering in a better position
of the user's suggesting content page than other competing business
entity.
[0166] Preferred methods compensate the content writer (provider)
with sales commission on the goods or services that are related to
the displayed content and sold to others. Once good for sale is
placed on the content provider's page and the good or service is
sold, a commission on the sale is paid to the content provider
since the content provider is helping to produce the sale of the
good. A commission for a sale may be paid to all involved parties
in performing the sale, including for example, the user suggesting
the good or service for sale. The mechanism of placing a good or
service for sale in the page may be any of the already mentioned
methods or any to be later developed that places content on the
page.
[0167] Relating Contents Based on Object in the View Area of the
Content Page
[0168] Preferred methods include a step for tracking the user's
staying time on the page as well to track the user's movement on
the page, like tracking the scrolling of the page and the speed
that the user may scroll the page will determine contents that the
user may read or view within the page. An example of a tracking
means to enable this step is a javascript-event code in the page
and once the user scroll the page the javascript-event code will
capture the movement and calculates how far down, how far up, how
far to the right or how far to the left on the page the user
viewing area is and therefore calculates the content area of the
page to determine the content viewed by the user. Another example
is a pluggable programmable browser's bar for the same purpose.
Other software code may also produce the same or similar result.
The method may be implemented using an installed browser
programmable bar.
[0169] Preferred methods also include steps to determine user
interest in subject matter being viewed and the probability that
the user actually read the subject matter. For example, calculating
the speed with which the user scrolls the page, may be useful in
implementing the method. If the user scrolls the page at a certain
speed, this may be an indication of the interest of the user in the
page contents. If the user scrolls the page faster, then this is an
indication of lower interest. Additionally, if the user scrolls the
page at a slower speed, then the probability that the user is
viewing the page is higher. If the user stops scrolling the page
then the content's area of the page may be processed to determine
the content's object the user may be viewing at the time. The
algorithm determines the viewing probability based on the speed of
the page scrolling by a user, if higher speed the probability is
lower, if slower speed the probability is higher, if the user stops
then the user may be considered to be viewing the page's content
and the page contents are processed to further related other
content to the content page or to determine the user's interest to
the content page.
[0170] Determining how a particular user is consuming the content,
that is, reading a page, may be based on that particular user's
viewing speed of an average page of contents. It may also be based
on an overall average of many users. Page viewing can be measured
by retaining data on how fast the user scrolls through the page.
Then, such speed can be compared to a predetermined average.
[0171] Conclusions about user page consumption are preferably
enabled by assessing a user's reading habits and then comparing
averages to the speed on other pages. For instance, the method may
include a step of assessing a user's reading habits by first
determining an average for the user's scrolling speed on multiple
pages viewed by the user. The more pages that are viewed and
scrolled, the more the average will better reflect that particular
user's scrolling speed. This step enables the system to become
smarter with greater use. A predetermined scrolling speed may be
assigned. For example, a default average scrolling speed may be
assigned using multiple user prior experiences; by using previously
assessed scrolling speeds; or simply assessing the potential user's
interaction with a content page and the user's absorption of the
content page. The intended target audience of the content may also
be factored in. For example, if the contents are highly technical,
or require advanced education levels, this will also have an impact
on scrolling speed. User action may be inferred. For example, if
the page is not scrolled at all, if the page has limited content or
has an object that requires attention from the user, like the
display of video on the page, then it may be inferred that the user
is viewing the page. The method may include a step of checking the
objects on the page (viewable and non-viewable objects) to
determine the speed at which the page may be scrolled by the user.
In some cases, when a user does not scroll the page, it may be
inferred that the user has little interest in the content on the
page.
[0172] Preferred methods may include monitoring a user's reading
habits on a content page and using such knowledge to target content
that is related to the portion of the content page which the user
is currently reading. Monitoring may involve assessing user's
reading habits for a specific content page then based on the
average scrolling speed of other users, deducing the scrolling
speed for the specific page. An assessment may be based on a user
pause in scrolling of the page for a certain period of time. When a
pause is detected, the steps include: calculating the pause
position from page's coordinates (top, bottom, left and right) of
the viewable page's content; using keywords or objects (viewable
and non-viewable) in the content at the pause position to target
related contents that the client may request from the server; and
transmitting to the client device to render the related contents.
Rendering may be: into the same content page; on a separate content
page, such as a frame; over the content with transparency or over
the content without the use of transparency; or in any other useful
way to display the related content to the user.
[0173] Preferred methods may include a step of processing of the
keywords or objects at a paused position on a page to reflect the
intellectual composition of the content page. Such processing may
be done by a server computer, which may be the computer hosting the
content that is displayed at the client computer's screen, or may
be a server computer that has access to the displayed content. If
the method is implemented by a server computer, then the client
computer communicates with the server computer passing information
related to the user's scrolling of the page. The determination of
the part of the content page that the user may be interacting with
or the user may be reading may be assessed by the objects rendered
on the page, if the object is a visual object and the visual object
is determined to be in the user's full view, the visual object may
be determined to be the part of the page where the user's viewing
is focused on the content page. Thus, the method may include a step
of directing the client computer to analyze the objects of the
viewable area of the content page. Based on the client computer's
analysis, the client passes the relevant objects to the server
computer and the server computer receives the relevant objects. The
server computer then searches for a set of related content. The
server computer then provides to the client computer the set of
related content and the client renders (displays) the received
related content. Alternatively, the client computer already
possesses the related content and the client processes the objects
of the viewable area of the displayed content page and renders the
related content to the content page as well.
[0174] Once the content at the paused position of the content page,
e.g., keywords, is determined, then the processing device or the
web browser in the client computer, the server, or the client
device may use the keywords to locate related contents at the
server or the client device that have matching keywords with the
content at the paused position.
[0175] Other objects of the content page may be used for the
purpose of relating content the content area of the content page
where the user's interest is at that moment. Objects may include
visible and non-visible objects within the content page. If the
page has objects that distinguish certain areas of the content page
like a title or a word in italics, bold, underlined, etc., then
these distinguishable objects may be used as target keywords for
relating other contents. Any other means not described herein may
be used as well without departing from the true spirit and scope of
the invention. For instance, the objects of the viewable area may
be used in conjunction with the viewing user's profiling data like
address location, sex, income, etc. to target content to the
content page. It may be implemented that the objects of the
viewable area of the content page may be related to other objects
of contents previously viewed by the viewing user. Or, it may be
such that based on a group of contents previously viewed by the
user may be used to derive a one or more classification of contents
that the user interacts with like: science fiction, health, travel,
etc. and use the classification to relate to the objects of the
content's viewable area to target other contents thereto.
Alternatively, the forming of such classification may be used to
target content to any kind of content page and not necessarily just
the targeting of content to a viewable area of a content page.
[0176] FIG. 16 illustrates a FIG. 16 content page (1600) and FIG.
16 content area (1600-a) being viewed by the user. This occurs the
moment the user stops scrolling and after a specified time
threshold happens and it may me just a second after the scrolling
stops, or it may be at the moment the user stops scrolling the page
or it may be based on preset time threshold. The FIG. 16 content
area (1600-a) contains a content portion and at the top of the FIG.
16 content area (1600-a) the keyword `San Francisco` appears and
the algorithm may process the whole area and decides that the FIG.
16 first advertising (1602) is the best target because the location
of the keyword `San Francisco` is at the top of the viewing area
and further down the page states `stayed` then the best targeted
advertising is FIG. 16 first advertising (1602) that is related to
an accommodation in San Francisco. The same happens to FIG. 16
second advertising (1604), FIG. 16 third advertising (1606), and
FIG. 16 fourth advertising (1608). They are related to keywords as
they appear on the viewing area of the content page from top to
bottom of the viewing area, like FIG. 16 fourth advertising (1608)
relates to keywords `dream come true` and they are at the very
bottom of the FIG. 16 content area (1600-a) of FIG. 16 content page
(1600).
[0177] Preferred methods may include a step of displaying related
contents in an order depending on the positional height on the
display of the related keywords that caused their selection. Thus,
the order that related contents are displayed on the content page
may be based on the order that keywords appearing in the viewing
area of the content page. For example, where the FIG. 16 first
order position (1610) relates to the first position and based on
the content top position that is within the FIG. 16 content area
(1600-a). The same is true for the FIG. 16 fourth order position
(1620) that is related to keywords of the content that is at the
very bottom of the FIG. 16 content area (1600-a) of the FIG. 16
content page (1600). This is one example of relating content based
on the viewing area of the content page. Related contents may
follow any order desired. Examples are: related content may appear
on the top of the list and the keywords of the content in the
viewing area of the content page may appear on the bottom of the
viewing content area; and related content may appear near, next to,
or over the keywords of the content page.
[0178] In preferred methods, once a user starts scrolling and the
scrolling may move the user's viewing area to a different area of
the content page, related contents will change accordingly to
reflect the new user's viewing area of the content page.
[0179] FIG. 17 illustrates a user moving of the viewing area of the
content page by scrolling the content page up on the
client-computer's screen. FIG. 16 content page (1600) is the same
but the viewing area is new viewing area, FIG. 17 viewing area
(1700). Thus, the related contents have changed: FIG. 17 first
content (1702) in FIG. 17 first content position (1710) is
different from that of FIG. 16. Also, the last related content in
FIG. 16 at the FIG. 16 fourth advertising (1608) no longer appears
at the FIG. 17 fourth advertising (1718) because the viewing area
changed the displayed area content and new related content is now
displayed. Thus, new related content is shown at FIG. 17 first
content position (1710), which is related to keywords `fly to San
Francisco` that appear on the top of the user's viewable content at
the top of the FIG. 17 viewing area (1700).
[0180] Targeting Content to a User Based Previous User's Visited
Location
[0181] Preferred methods include a step of targeting content to a
user based on the user previously visited location. Such previously
visited location may be a geographical or physical location.
Examples include: where the user has lived, a location where the
user has purchased a good or a service, a previous tourist location
where the user has visited and/or stayed, a previous location where
the user has been and was recorded by tracking devices like a smart
phone in the form of saving a GPS (Global Positioning System), and
a location tracked by a longitude and latitude coordinates an a
geographical area used by a GPS system.
[0182] The user may have lived in a particular location, city,
state, street, zip code, etc., and the system may have such
information about the user indicating a previous location where the
user has been. Once the user accesses the system the system may
relate contents that are location based and target such content to
the user based on a prior location where the user has been. The
contents that the system may target can be any kind of content
including, advertising, good for sale, service for sale,
instructional contents, or any other kind of imaginable content
that may be target to the user and is based on the user's prior
location.
[0183] For instance, assume that a user has lived in San Francisco,
Calif. Once that user visits the system, the system may target
content which is San Francisco related, such as for example,
hotels, restaurants, theaters, etc, located in San Francisco,
Calif. If the user has visited a particular location in San
Francisco, for instance visited the Union Square in San Francisco,
Calif., and this location was saved by a GPS device like an smart
phone, the system may target content to the user that is related to
the Union Square area and may include advertising related to
restaurants, hotels, tourist attractions, stores, etc. that is
located in surroundings of the Union Square area in San Francisco,
Calif.
[0184] FIG. 18 illustrates a list of past locations previously
visited by the FIG. 18 user (1800) and FIG. 18 targeted contents
(1810) that are related to previous location that was visited by
the user.
[0185] Targeting Content to a User Based the User's Ground
Orientation on a Compass
[0186] A preferred method includes a step of targeting contents to
a user based on the user's ground orientation (south, north, east,
west, northwest, etc.) on a compass of a portable device operated
by the user. For instance, the portable device may have a compass
indicating the ground direction that the user intends to go to
reach a destination. A step may include targeting content at or on
the way to the destination. For example, if the user is heading in
a southerly direction, the step includes targeting content that may
be found in a location south of where the user is at that moment.
The targeting may be accomplished by the server or the user's
portable device using the GPS location of the device and using GPS
based locations of content on the device or server to target the
content. If implemented on the server, the server receives from the
portable device its GPS coordinates and the ground orientation and
the server calculates the coordinates of the GPS location and the
ground orientation. The server then implements a step of locating
other content that is GPS based in the direction desired; and
sending the content to the portable device.
[0187] Algorithms are known that translate GPS-based location
(longitude and latitude) into specific zip code or street address;
some have the precision of the street number. A step may be
included of receiving a user-specified input, such as distance from
the GPS location, or the ground direction the user desires to
receive content from. For example, the server may receive a user
designation of: one mile ahead of the user's present location; a
half-mile ahead of the user's present location; one hundred feet
ahead of the user's present location; or any distance set by the
user. Once the user moves and the direction changes, the device may
update the content by calculating a new GPS location and the new
ground direction. New content may thus be displayed to the user
based on the new GPS location the user's ground direction the
device is pointing to.
[0188] A user-specified input of distance from the GPS location
from where the user currently is used by the server for calculating
how far ahead from where the user is for the purpose of fetching
contents from locations that are just ahead of the user and in the
same direction the user's portable device is pointing to. The
user-specified input of distance is added to the GPS parameters
(either the longitude or the latitude, it may be that the
user-specified input of distance is added to both: longitude and
latitude) in the same direction the user's portable device is
pointing thereto. By adding the user-specified input of distance to
either or both of the longitude and latitude it will increase the
distance range to just ahead from where the user is and on the
direction where the user's portable device is pointing to.
[0189] The method may include a step of enabling the user to
specify other parameters. For instance, if the user-specified input
of distance is three miles and the user is facing north then the
server implements a step of presenting related content to the user
that is located three miles north from where the user is currently
located. The server may enable the user-specified input to include
a radius, for example a one mile radius, so that the server will
find and present related content to the user that is within a
radius of one mile radius around the path to the destination three
miles north from where the user is currently located.
[0190] A preferred method may include a step of sending a coupon or
other offering of business located in the user's surroundings. If
the user patronizes the business, then the user may redeem the
offering (coupon, discount and others) once the user arrives at the
business establishment. If the content is based on advertising,
then the user may receive a commission from the advertising once
the advertising is clicked on or if the user actually goes into the
business establishment associated with the advertising. A step may
include receiving the user's GPS and if the received GPS location
associates with advertising that was presented to the user, then
the user gets a commission, which means the user is at the actual
business location from the prior advertisement presented to the
user.
[0191] The method may be further implemented with the steps of:
contacting the business establishment's server; and passing the
discount to the business for automatically applying to the user's
bill. Thus, once the user is ready to pay for services rendered or
goods sold, the coupon value is automatically deducted from the
user's bill. These steps are preferably performed after the server
determines the user's location to be at the business establishment
that had a coupon or offered the discount promotion previously
presented to the user. Such automatic implementation may be
implemented with a step of associating a code to the user's device
and with the server implementing the method. Once the user employs
the portable device to make payment to the business establishment,
then the deduction automatically applied. If the portable device is
not used to make payment, then the user may furnish the code to the
business to apply the discount to the purchase. The redeeming
mechanism may be redeemable points or any other means for
compensating the user disclosed herein.
[0192] Offering a Coupon to a Clicker and/or Content Provider
[0193] The method will preferably compensate the clicker and/or the
content provider for click on an advertising or the purchase of a
good or service, where the advertiser or the seller may send a
coupon to the clicker and/or the content provider and the coupon
may be redeemed at the issuing facility on the coupon receiver
patronizes the issuing facility. The coupon may be give once a
clicker stays a certain time length at the issuing facility site,
web page, etc. The coupon may be issued once the clicker answers a
question at the issuing facility's website, web page, etc. This is
a novel means since the clicker and the content provider will have
a motivation to patronize issuing coupon facilities and they will
retain the brand name of the issuing facility as well.
[0194] Relating a Content Based on Common Classification Group
[0195] The disclosed method is useful for relating contents based
on a common classification between two or more contents. The common
classification is in the form of: a category common to two or more
contents; a sub-category common to two or more contents; a class
common to two or more contents; etc. Steps include storing a user
visited content pages; placing the content pages in a learning
module; parsing the content pages' objects using the learning
module; choosing which objects are to be grouped in a particular
category; and forming a particular classification of visited
content pages for the user. For instance, if a user views many
pages related to travel and object-words like: travel, visit, air
fare, etc., then the method will deduce that the pages are related
to a classification `tour`, `vacation`, `travel`, etc. An
additional step is classifying a group of pages to one or more
classifications based on the content pages' objects. The server may
classify the content page at the time the user is visiting a
content page or the server may classify the content-pages as batch
at off peak time.
[0196] The learning-system module may learn by comparing a content
page's object with a list of other objects that has been classified
by the system or by a human being, for instance, using known
objects to be related to a particular classification. For example:
`trip` is related to `travel,` but only if the word `trip` and
another word related to travel appears on the same content page,
for instance the word `vacation.` Since the word `trip` has more
than one meaning, the learning system should be smart enough not to
confuse the word `trip` related to travel with the word `trip`
related to a different classification.
[0197] In other words, the method includes a step of parsing user
visited content pages' objects and deriving one or more
classifications for the user (first classification group). Once the
user visits a content page, a step includes parsing the content
page's objects. Another step is deriving one or more
classifications for the content page (second classification group).
Another step is associating contents with the content page, where
the associating contents have a similar or the same classification
with the first classification group and the second classification
group. The step of deriving a classification group for a content
page may be accomplished by parsing the content page's objects
while the content page is being saved by the server computer or at
any time, such as, in an off peak time of the server computer.
[0198] The parsing step may be used for all the objects of a
content page or just for the objects that are viewable by a user.
If the parsing step is performed just for the viewable objects of
the content page, then once the server computer receives the screen
coordinates from a client device, the server computer implements
steps of: fetching the content; parsing the objects that are
associated with the user's viewable area of the content page; using
the objects to find a classification group for the objects; using
the classification group to categorize objects in the viewable
content area; associating the classification with one or more other
classification groups for the user; and targeting new content to
the content page on the client computer based on one or more
contents that relate to the two common classification groups.
[0199] The method may be implemented in such way that when a
content page is requested by a client for a user at the client
device and just before the server sends the content page to the
client device, the server parses the content page's objects and
find a classification group, then the server matches the
classification group against contents stored in the server having
the same or similar classification group. In this particular
situation, the matching of contents to a classification groups is
not necessarily related to the user's classification group.
[0200] The method may further a steps of deriving a classification
group from several sources including: user profiling data; a user's
comment on a content page, a user's visit to the user's friend's
profiling page's in a social network; the user's friend's profiling
data, etc.; and compensating users helping in the process of
generation an income stream.
[0201] FIG. 19 illustrates a FIG. 19 content group (1900), a FIG.
19 Learning System (1902), a FIG. 19 classification group (1904)
and a FIG. 19 related content page (1908). The FIG. 19 content
group (1900) is parsed by the FIG. 19 Learning System (1902) and
the FIG. 19 classification group (1904) is derived. The FIG. 19
related content page (1908) is related to `Classification D` (1906)
of the FIG. 19 content group (1904).
[0202] FIG. 20 illustrates a FIG. 20 content page (2000) being fed
to the FIG. 19 Learning System (1902) and a FIG. 20 classification
(2002) derived from the FIG. 20 content page (2000). While a single
FIG. 20 classification (2002) for the FIG. 20 content page (2000)
is shown, more than one classification group may be derived.
Deriving the FIG. 20 classification (2002) for the content page
(2000) may be performed by the server computer at the time the
server computer saves the content page (2000) or it may be done at
any other time, such as, at off-peak time.
[0203] FIG. 21 illustrates a step of associating the FIG. 20
content page (2000) and FIG. 19 related content page (1908)
associated with the FIG. 20 content page (2000). Once a client
device accesses the FIG. 20 content page (2000), the server
computer (or any computing device) parses the FIG. 20 content page
(2000) and derives the FIG. 20 classification (2002), namely
`Classification DD.` The server computer then performs a step of
accessing the FIG. 19 classification group (1904) and retrieves
from the FIG. 19 classification group (1904), `Classification D`
(1906). `Classification D` (1906) of FIG. 19 is similar to the FIG.
20 classification (2002), namely `Classification DD.` The server
computer implements a step of fetching FIG. 19 related content page
(1908) and sends it to the client device for display, as shown in
FIG. 21 content page (2100). The FIG. 21 content page (2100)
includes FIG. 20 content page (2000) that was requested plus the
FIG. 19 related content page (1908) that was derived. Once sent,
this finishes the process of relating a content to a content page
based on a common classification group.
[0204] Relating a Content Based on Saved User's Information at a
Device
[0205] Another preferred method of the present invention includes a
step of targeting content to a user based on the user's private
data stored in the user's personal devices (laptop computer,
desktop computer, mobile devices and others) or in a cloud
(computer on the Internet used to backup user's data). When the
user accesses the server, the server checks the user's private data
stored within the server, or stored in another computer, and
targets user secondary content that is related to the user's
private data.
[0206] The method preferably involves a server (also known as a
server computer). While receiving a request for a content page, the
server implements steps of: identifying objects within the content
page; finding an association between the identified objects and
other contents saved at the user's devices or other user saved
contents in a server in a network cloud (the term cloud refers to
the on-demand provision of computational resources (data, software)
via a computer network); and associating the other contents with
the user identification stored in the server. The server, after
identifying the objects within the content page requested, may
implement a step of using the objects to find an association with
other objects of the user's stored information (software
applications, personal data, contents of any kind, profiling data,
etc.) then locating other contents that are related to the to the
user's stored information in the cloud or in the user's personal
devices.
[0207] If implemented in the user's personal devices, then the
user's personal device may do all the required processing of the
method. If implemented on the cloud, the cloud server or servers
will perform the method alone or in conjunction with other devices
connected to the cloud and may include a personal device.
[0208] The server preferably implements steps of: finding first
content having a first association between user requested content
and the user's stored information; identifying a second content
having an association between the user's stored information and the
requested content. Once the first content and the second content
are found or identified, the server implements steps of: fetching
the first content and the second content; then rendering the first
content, second content and requested content in the content page.
The content page is not necessarily a single page, it may be two
separate pages where the requested content is first transmitted to
the client device and the content page comprising a frame, and once
the client executes the frame (e.g., an iframe), the server
implements steps of: processing a copy of the content to find the
first content and the second content; and transmitting the related
content to the client device for rendering into the frame.
Alternatively, these steps be implemented by two or more servers or
computers, used at a single or multiple locations. For example, a
first server implements a step of sending the content page with the
frame. This first server may be at a first location. A second
server implements a step of sending related content to the frame.
The second server may be at a second location. The second server
may have a copy of the requested content stored thereon.
[0209] The method may include a step of finding a single
association between the user's requested content and the user's
stored contents in the server computer (cloud or personal devices).
Once the server receives a user request for a content page, the
server employs an object on the content page to find a relationship
with the user's stored information in the server computer. Once a
relationship is found, the server implements steps of: locating at
least one content that is related to the user's stored information;
rendering the related content with the requested content; sending a
content page to be displayed by the client device operated by the
user; and upon income generation by the user interaction with
advertising, or purchasing goods and services for sale, etc. on the
content page, a commission may be paid to the user owning the
information.
[0210] An alternative preferred method is implemented by a
computer, which may be a server or other device with networking
capability. This method is applicable when content is related to a
content page that was requested by the user based on a relationship
between the content and the user's stored information in the
computer. For instance, the user's stored information relates to
songs the user has downloaded from a musician and the content is an
advertising promoting the musician's tour.
[0211] This alternative method is a novel way of presenting content
to a user that is based on the user's stored information in the
computer, since employing the method will remind the user of
activities that are of interest to the user while the user is
viewing a content page that may have no relationship with the
user's stored information. Relating content based on the user's
stored information or user's prior activities is new. The user's
stored information may reside at the server serving the related
content, in any user's personal device, or even in another server
not associated with the server serving the related content. If
based on the user's personal device, the server, for example,
sending the related content may access the user's personal device
at any time to index the user's stored information or to target
content to the client device as described herein. If the server
accesses the client device to send content to the client device
then the content may be directed to another content that is being
viewed using the device.
[0212] FIG. 22 illustrates a preferred method using a FIG. 22
server (2200). The FIG. 22 server (2200) may be any kind of hosting
computer, such as a user's personal device including laptop,
desktop, personal phone, and any kind of mobile and non-mobile
device. The FIG. 22 server (2200) may be located in a cloud.
[0213] The FIG. 22 server (2200) hosts or stores thereon FIG. 22
User's Personal Information (2204). The FIG. 22 User's Personal
Information (2204) is used by the FIG. 22 server (2200) to relate
FIG. 22 Related Content (2206) to a FIG. 22 User (2202) once the
FIG. 22 User (2202) requests content from the FIG. 22 server
(2200). Upon request of the FIG. 22 User (2202), the FIG. 22 server
(2200) fetches FIG. 22 Requested Content (2208) and uses the
relationship between the FIG. 22 Related Content (2206) and the
FIG. 22 User's Personal Information (2204) to send the FIG. 22
Related Content (2206) with the FIG. 22 Requested Content (2208) to
the FIG. 22 user (2202).
[0214] Paying a Plurality of Content Providers for Providing
Contents to a Single Content Page
[0215] An alternative method is used when there is a plurality of
content providers in an environment, such as a social network or
micro-blogging site, which receives a commission based on the paid
content that is advertised, or good sold and associated with a
non-paid content page that includes contents from a plurality of
users. The method enables each user of the content page to receive
a commission for the income generated through user interaction with
the content page. The paid-content may be just displayed on the
non-paid content page or the paid content may have an association
with other non-paid content, or have an association with private
data of one or more users contributing to the non-paid content
page. The private data may be user's personal information or user's
content stored in the user's personal device.
[0216] The method may be implemented in websites like social
network, micro-blogging sites, blogging sites or any hosting
environment where more than one user contributes to a content page.
A social network site is used herein as an example. In a social
network, more than one user provides data that is consumed by a
client device. The contents typically include: comments on another
user's page, shared photos, shared links, etc. If user-a shares a
link, user-b shares a photo and user-c shares a comment, then all
three users are responsible for the income generated by the social
network website and the method enables income generated by the
social network website on the content page that was contributed by
three users to be shared with the three users.
[0217] The process of relating second contents to the plurality of
content contributors for a requested content page may be any method
described herein or it may be any method used to relate content to
a content page. In the case of a link, the server may initiate the
steps of: accessing the destination of the user-supplied link;
retrieving a content page at the destination; identifying objects
within the retrieved content page; associating other content in any
manner described in this disclosure or in any manner of relating a
second object with any identified object within the retrieved
content page to a user-requested content page. Other methods of
associating second content may be used, such as described elsewhere
in this disclosure. For instance, relating content to be rendered
in the content page and the second content based on profiling
information of one or more of the content contributors to the
requested content page.
[0218] When the server retrieves content associated with a user's
supplied link, the server may save the object within the retrieved
content or the server may save the content. Saving may be in a
database controlled by the server, which permits instant access to
the stored objects. The stored objects may be used at any time to
facilitate a search for related contents stored on the server. The
stored objects may be used at any time a user's search request is
received by the server computer, in this situation, the server may
supply the complete content that was fetched based on the user
supplied link, or the server may only supply the user's supplied
link as part of the page search result.
[0219] The user's supplied link may be employed by the server
computer for: indexing the content identified by the user's
supplied link; retrieving one or more objects at the destination of
the user's supplied link; forming a search engine using the one or
more objects. When multiple user's supplied links are used in this
way, it forms a better method to identify quality contents because
they were suggested by users. Users' suggested contents better
reflect a search result than if the contents are simply fetched by
a search engine without regard for content quality. The objects of
the users' supplied link may be related to one or more user's
profile, profile of the user who suggested the content's link or
the group of users who suggested a plurality of contents' links.
The association of one or more user's profile with the users'
supplied content link may be used to target other contents to the
content page search result using any method that offers a search
result based on user's supplied content's link.
[0220] The code to implement the method is preferably stored in a
non-transient storage medium on a server computer. Once the method
is processed by the server computer the method enables a plurality
of users to provide content to be displayed on a content page. The
server computer implements a step of receiving a request for the
content page, which is the requested content page. The requested
content page includes a plurality of contents provided by the
plurality of users of the server computer. The server computer
implements steps of: finding an association between an object or
content on the requested content page and at least one other paid
content or non-paid content (associated content); rendering
(displaying to the user who sent the request) the associated
content in the requested content page; and, if the any compensation
is received for the user's interaction with the associated content,
paying a commission (portion of the compensation) to the plurality
of users who provided content to be displayed on the content
page.
[0221] When the method utilizes a user-supplied link to content,
the user-supplied link is preferably stored in a server computer.
The server computer implements steps of fetching the content, which
comprises objects such as text, images, etc.; processing the
objects to identify them; identifying second content having a
relationship with at least one object from the fetched content;
and, transmitting the second content to be displayed on a client
device.
[0222] FIG. 23 illustrates a FIG. 23 webpage (2300) comprising
three objects supplied by three users: FIG. 23 Content-A (2302)
supplied by FIG. 23 User-A (2304): FIG. 23 Content-B (2306)
supplied by FIG. 23 User-B (2308); and FIG. 23 Content-C (2310)
supplied by FIG. 23 User-C (2312).
[0223] FIG. 23 webpage (2300) further comprises FIG. 23 Related
Content (2314) having an association with the objects of FIG. 23
webpage page (2300) based on a FIG. 23 relationship (2316) between
the three users (user's profiling data (not shown)), who are
content contributors. The association with the objects of FIG. 23
webpage page (2300) may alternatively or in addition be based on a
FIG. 23 second relationship (2318) with the objects of the three
supplied contents by the three users. FIG. 23 Related Content
(2314) may have both such relationships simultaneously or may be
based on just one relationship. The relationship may be of any kind
of relationship.
[0224] Targeting Content to a User Based on the User's
Acquaintances
[0225] An alternative preferred method is used when targeting
content to a user based on the user's acquaintance (friends on a
social network, or a follower in a micro-blog site, or contents on
an address-book, etc.) The method includes steps of: targeting
content to a user based on something involving one or more of the
user's acquaintances. For example, this something may include:
user-acquaintance preferences; a user-acquaintance prior visited
content page; a user-acquaintance prior good or service purchased;
a user-acquaintance prior clicked advertisement; any other
user-acquaintance descriptor that correlates one user to another
user. Once income is generated by the user interacting with
paid-content, then a commission (portion of) in payment of the
generated income may be paid to the user and/or to the user's
acquaintance.
[0226] As an example, a user visits a website (requests a page)
related to travel and one or more of his acquaintances on a social
network site has travel as a hobby listed in their profile. One of
such acquaintances may have visited New York. The server will
implement steps of: targeting (identifying) related content, such
as an advertisement, a service or a good for sale that is related
to travel and to New York based on: the classification of the
website as travel (or the content's object of the visited page);
the user-acquaintance's profiling data which has travel; and New
York that offers a relationship to the content page. The server
renders (sends to the user for display) the related content in the
website or page requested by the user.
[0227] A preferred method is used for relating content to a user.
It is based on the user-acquaintance's data. The code implementing
the method is preferably stored in a non-transient medium in a
server computer. The method includes steps of: receiving a request
for a content page from a registered user at the server computer;
the server computer accessing one or more of the registered user's
acquaintance's data; using the data to find a relationship between
the data and a content; rendering the content in a page;
transmitting the page to be displayed by a client device; and,
optionally finding an association between the requested content,
the user-acquaintance's data and at least one other content.
[0228] FIG. 24 illustrates a FIG. 24 content page (2400) comprising
FIG. 24 Content (2402) and FIG. 24 Targeted Content (2404). FIG. 24
Targeted Content (2404) is related to FIG. 24 Content (2402) based
on a FIG. 24 relationship (2406) between FIG. 24 Content (2402) and
the FIG. 24 Targeted Content (2404). The FIG. 24 relationship
(2406) can be any kind, such as the use of the objects in the FIG.
24 Content (2402) to derive the relationship.
[0229] FIG. 24 Targeted Content (2404) may be associated with FIG.
24 Content (2402) based on a FIG. 24 relationship (2408), which is
based on the FIG. 24 user (2416) acquaintances' information data,
and the data may be of any data type. Once the server receives a
content request for FIG. 24 Content (2402) from the FIG. 24 user
(2416), the server retrieves FIG. 24 Targeted Content (2404) based
on one or both of the FIG. 24 relationship (2406) and the FIG. 24
relationship (2408). If the server uses only the FIG. 24
relationship (2408) the server will fetch information from one or
more of the FIG. 24 user (2416) acquaintances including: FIG. 24
User's Acquaintances-A (2410), FIG. 24 User's Acquaintances-B
(2412), and FIG. 24 User's Acquaintances-C (2414). The server may
use any number of the FIG. 24 user (2416) acquaintances in term to
determine the FIG. 24 relationship (2408) to target (identify and
send) the FIG. 24 Targeted Content (2404) to the FIG. 24 user
(2416). The server may employ one or both relationships.
[0230] Broadcasting a Virtual Content to a Secondary User
[0231] A preferred method is used for presenting content in virtual
form to a first user (user-a) after a second user (user-b) of a
website adds the content to a server hosting the website. This
method enables the presentation of content to a broad user base,
such as in emergency situations where a message needs to be
available to a broad base of recipients on a short notice. For
instance, user-a adds content-a to user-a's hosting environment
(website, social network, micro-blogging, blogging, etc.) and
user-b chooses to host user-a's content-a and content-a becomes
available to user-b's hosting environment. A third user user-c may
select to accept any of selected content from user-b. Now content-a
will be available to user-c even though user-c hasn't chosen
content-a. Content-a is available to user-c through the connection
between user-c and user-b.
[0232] FIG. 25 illustrates this method. FIG. 25 Content (2500) is
associated to FIG. 25 User-a (2502). FIG. 25 Content (2500) is
available to any user accessing FIG. 25 User-a's (2502) webpage.
Any other user may link to FIG. 25 User-a (2502) as to FIG. 25
inherit Content (2500) from FIG. 25 User-a (2502) hosting site and
present the content as if the content was hosted at the inheriting
user's hosting environment. Users may FIG. 25 inherit Content
(2500) from FIG. 25 User-a (2502) by choosing FIG. 25 Content
(2500) from the hosting environment of FIG. 25 User-a (2502) or by
choosing to automatically accept contents from FIG. 25 User-a
(2502) like following FIG. 25 User-a (2502), this process is called
criteria. For instance, FIG. 25 User-b (2504) may choose to accept
any content or selected content based on any selection criteria
from FIG. 25 User-a (2502).
[0233] If FIG. 25 User-b (2504) elects to receive content from FIG.
25 User-a (2502) by choosing a criteria (2506), then FIG. 25
Content (2500) is FIG. 25 available (2508) to FIG. 25 User-b
(2504).
[0234] If FIG. 25 User-c (2510) chooses to receive content from
FIG. 25 User-b (2504) based on FIG. 25 criteria (2512), then FIG.
25 Content (2500) is FIG. 25 available (2514) to FIG. 25 User-c
(2510) based on FIG. 25 criteria (2512) which enables FIG. 25
User-c (2510) to receive FIG. 25 Content (2500) through FIG. 25
User-b (2504).
[0235] If FIG. 25 User-d (2516) decides to receive content from
FIG. 25 User-c (2510) by choosing FIG. 25 criteria (2518) then FIG.
25 Content (2500) becomes FIG. 25 available (2520) to FIG. 25
User-d (2516) through FIG. 25 User-c (2510), through FIG. 25 User-b
(2504) and through FIG. 25 User-a (2502).
[0236] FIG. 25 User-a (2502) is the first user in the chain of
users. FIG. 25 User-a (2502) is the owner of Content (2500). FIG.
25 User-b (2504) is the first propagator of FIG. 25 Content (2500)
to FIG. 25 User-b (2504) associated acquaintances. FIG. 25 User-c
(2510) is the second propagator. FIG. 25 User-d (2516) is the third
and last propagator of Content (2500).
[0237] For example, the server may implement a step of enabling a
third user (user-c), who is associated with the second user
(user-b), to elect to receive selected contents from the second
user (user-b) automatically, that is, once the second user (user-b)
places (adds) the content. The server will enable the third user
(user-c) to have the content displayed automatically on the third
user's profile based on the third user's election to accept the
content from the second user (user-b). The third user (user-c) may
elect to accept all contents that the second user (user-b) places
on the second user's profile or the third user (user-c) may elect
to receive content related to a specific category, sub-category,
classification, etc. from the second user (user-b).
[0238] This method is preferably used for websites that enable a
first user to see the content of second user. In this kind of
website, the second user may elect to accept content provided by
the first user. For instance, in the prior example, if user-b is a
follower of user-a, then any time user-a places a content into
user-a's profile, user-b automatically has access to the content
based on a set parameter that designates user-b as a follower of
user-a.
[0239] If user-c elects to receive content from user-b (content
posted by user-b or content received by user-b from other users),
then user-c will have the content that was posted by user-a based
on the preset election of user-c to receive content from user-b.
Even though user-c is not associated with user-a in any form. The
election from user-c to accept content from user-b creates an
automatic link between user-c and user-a based on user-c's election
to receive content from user-b. Alternatively, User-c may elect to
accept only contents posted by user-b; user-c may elect to accept
only contents posted by user-b based on a specific classification;
user-c may elect to accept only contents posted by a third user
which user-b follows; or user-c may elect to receive contents from
the third user user-b follows and based on a specific
classification, like: emergency, family, party, travel, hints, etc.
User-c may elect to receive content base on any combination of the
just described election alternatives.
[0240] The method may include optional steps of detecting a
situation where a dead-loop occurs and stopping the dead loop. A
dead loop is an infinite loop of code steps, or more accurately a
sequence of instructions in a computer program which loops
endlessly, either due to the loop having no terminating condition,
having one that can never be met, or one that causes the loop to
start over. This may occur when user-c elects to automatically
receive a message from user-b; user-b elects to automatically
receive a message from user-a; and user-a elects to automatic
receive message from user-c. A message from user-a will be posted
to user-b and user-c then back to user-a, thus forming a dead-loop
that may be continuously repeated. If a dead loop is formed it may
cause the server to lock up or crash.
[0241] The method may be implemented where a fourth user (user-d)
receives a message that was transmitted by user-a. For instance,
user-d elects to receive messages from user-c that was received
from any user associated with user-d. As we already know, user-c
receives message from user-a based in the election of user-c to
accept messages from other users through user-b. Now if user-d
elects to receive virtual messages, that is a message received
through another user, user-b in this case, then user-d will also
receive the message from user-a based on a link between user-c and
user-b, and, a link between user-b and user-a. If the user-d elects
to receive message that has a connection with user-c, this will
allow user-d to receive message from user-b based on the link
between user-d and user-c, but user-d will not be able to receive
message from user-a because user-d has only elected to receive
message one level of propagation. So a user may elect to receive a
message that has no limit of propagation (broadcasting level), a
user may elect to receive message that has only one level of
propagation or a user may elect to receive message that has x level
of propagation, that is, the user sets the number of levels of a
message propagation, the larger the value the more messages the
user will receive, the smaller the value, the fewer messages the
user will receive. The user may set, reset or change the level of
message propagation at any time so as to change the scope of
propagation and the number of messages to receive.
[0242] An example of the method is a computer implements steps of:
associating a first user with a second user; associating a third
user with the second user; enabling the third user to elect to
receive messages from the second user; accepting a message from the
first user; placing the message in the profile of the first user;
displaying the message in the second user's profile based on the
association between the first user and the second user; displaying
the message in the third user's profile based on the election of
the third user to receive messages from the second user; optionally
enabling a fourth user to elect to receive messages from the third
user; optionally displaying the message in the fourth user's
profile based on the election from the fourth user to receive
message from the third user; optionally, preventing a dead-loop
while processing the message's propagation; and optionally,
allowing a user to set the level of a message's propagation.
[0243] A paid content may be targeted to the user's supplied
content as well or be target to the virtual propagated message. The
paid content may be targeted based on a relationship, like: a
relationship between the user's supplied content and the paid
content (using any of the means already described in this
disclosure); a relationship between the paid content and one or
more of user's data (personal profiling data, personal provided
information, personal hobby, etc.) participating in the message
propagation or the message provider; a relationship between the
paid content and a combination of the users' data (one or more user
that will consume the content) that the user supplied content is
displayed to; a relationship between the combination of users' data
and the user-supplied content's objects; any other type of
combination between the paid content, the user's supplied content,
and one or more of the users' data; or any other type of
combination that allows the system to target the paid content to
one or more users.
[0244] The methods described herein are preferably implemented with
a step of paying a commission to each participant that helps to
generate an income stream. When non-paid content is associated with
multiple users, each user supplying the non paid content may
receive a higher commission, since the non-paid content will be
displayed to the multiple users. Thus, the method may include a
step of compensating each user, including the content provider and
those intermediary users receiving propagated messages up to the
user doing the interaction. Each such user may receive a commission
based on the generated income.
[0245] Alternatively, the user appearing higher in the propagation
chain may receive a higher commission and a user appearing lower in
the propagation chain gets a lower commission, or vice-verse. For
instance, user-a will get a higher commission than user-b, user-b
will get a higher commission than user-c, and user-c will get a
higher commission than user-d, or vice-verse. Alternatively, user-a
may get a commission for all the users in the chain; user-b may get
a commission for all user in the chain except for interaction of
user-a; and user-d may only get a commission for interaction with
displayed content.
[0246] Selected criteria may be turned off or be changed to
different criteria at any time by a user, if the criteria are
turned off then no content from another user will be available to
the user. The criteria may be like choosing to accept all contents
from a specific user or form a group of users, it may be based on a
particular content classification form a specific user or from a
group of users, it may be based on specific hobby from one or more
users, it may be based on specific paid content classification
viewed and/or interacted by one or more users, it may be based on
data from one or more user's profiles, or it may be based on any
conceivable means to set a criteria for the purpose of choosing to
accept a content from one or more users.
[0247] The method may be implemented on a computer and include
steps of: registering a first user, a second user and a third user;
storing data related to the first user, the second user and the
third user in a non-transient medium on the computer; hosting
first-user content; associating the first-user content with the
first user; permitting the second user to elect to receive the
first-user content according to a first criteria; making the
first-user content available to the second user according to the
first criteria, essentially converting first-user content to
second-user content; enabling the third user to elect to receive
the second-user content according to a second criteria to accept
second-user content from the second user. This last step, thus
makes first-user content available to the third user as second-user
content, essentially converting second-user content to third-user
content. This conversion may be thought of as associating the
content with other users.
[0248] Presentation and the display of content, whether an object,
text, a message, or a page, may be by transmission using any
available medium. For example, a message may be transmitted as
message to be displayed or consumed by portable devices like a cell
phone, a personal pad or any personal device working on a wireless
communication medium or any other communication medium like a
hardwired communication lines in a telephone or computer network.
The implementation may be based on downloading a program to
portable device, or may be a combination of portable and
non-portable device and a combination of online and off line
devices.
[0249] Although the methods have advantages as described herein, it
should be understood that various changes, substitutions and
alterations could be made herein without departing from the true
spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended
claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not
intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the
process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means,
methods, computer software and steps described in the
specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily
appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes,
machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods,
computer software, or steps, presently existing or later to be
developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve
substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments
described herein may be utilized according to the present
invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include
within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture,
compositions of matter, means, methods, computer software or
steps.
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